Scarlet Lioness
by Kasyntra
Summary: "You look like your mother. Except for your eyes, you have your father's eyes." It's the Harry Potter series seen through the eyes of The Chosen One's twin sister, Emily. Adventure, friendship, romance, and the DA rebellion under Snape's regime.
1. The Warning

**If you read this story, I would love a review even if it's just a couple words. My goal is to update this story once a week on Sunday evenings, and at the moment I can guarantee the next four chapters will be updated on schedule.**

**Anyways, read, enjoy, and please review!**

Early October, 1981

The door opened to reveal a young redheaded woman with dazzling green eyes. She squinted into the dark and upon recognizing the man standing in the shadows cried, "Dumbledore! What are you doing here? Oh, but come in of course." She opened the door further and stepped back to allow him entry.

"Good evening, Lily," said Dumbledore smiling at her. "How are the twins?"

"Just great," she laughed as she led him into the living room. "They run all over and get into everything."

"Where is James, Lily?"

"Upstairs. He should be down in a minute; he's just finishing putting Harry to bed. I had just gotten Emily down before you knocked." She paused and looked at Dumbledore. "Was there something you needed, Dumbledore?" she asked.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed. This was not going to be an enjoyable conversation. "If you don't mind, Lily, I'd like to wait for James to join us before I explain."

At that moment, they heard a soft pounding on the stairs, and a second later James appeared around the corner. "Lily, you won't believe how long it took to get Harry to go to sleep, but of course Emily's already—Dumbledore!" he broke off, seeing the headmaster for the first time. "What are you doing here?" Seeing the twinkling in Dumbledore's eyes, he added, "Not that we don't enjoy your visits; I mean. . ." James plopped down next to Lily across from Dumbledore and stared at the older man.

Dumbledore sighed again. How to explain . . . . "Well, James, I have reason to believe that your son is in great danger from Lord Voldemort."

"Harry?" gasped Lily staring wide-eyed at him.

"Why?" demanded James at the same time. "Why is he in danger from Lord Voldemort?"

Glancing between them, Dumbledore said, "You must understand I can't reveal how I know this, but Lord Voldemort believes the boy will grow up to destroy him. The solution, in Voldemort's mind, is to kill the boy before he grows old enough to become a threat. To protect him, you must go into hiding immediately. I would suggest a Fidelius Charm. Your location would be known only to one, your Secret Keeper, and it would be impossible for Voldemort to discover your whereabouts unless told by your Secret Keeper."

He paused to see if they had any questions, but James and Lily were silent staring at each other, looking deep into each other's eyes and holding a silent conversation. Dumbledore coughed quietly, and they whipped around to face him. He added quietly, "I want you to know that I will assist you in whatever way I can."

"He's after Harry?" asked James for confirmation. Dumbledore nodded. "And the only way to keep him safe is to go into hiding?" Again, he nodded.

"What about Emily?" asked Lily. "Is he after her as well?"

This time Dumbledore shook his head saying, "And since he's not after her, it would be best if Emily did not remain with Harry."

"What?" gasped Lily staring at Dumbledore, her mouth hanging open.

James spoke up. "Dumbledore, why would you ask us to send Emily away? We're her parents. We need to take care of her."

"I know," said Dumbledore, his eyes troubled. "But since she's not the one Voldemort is after, she would be safer farther away from Harry. If something went wrong, it would be far easier to run away with one baby, not two."

Lily acknowledged the truth of his words in her head, but she couldn't get her heart to accept it. James scratched his head, glancing at Lily who was staring into space, misery etched across her face. "When you put it that way, it makes sense, I guess. What would you suggest we do to protect Emily?"

"Do you know anyone who would take the girl in for an extended visit? Relatives?"

Lily was shaking her head, "My sister and her husband hate us. They would never agree to take Emily in."

"What about family friends?"

Lily bit her lip, thinking. "I suppose Mary might take her in. Mary MacDonald, or rather Mary Freeman now, is Emily's godmother. She loves Emily to death; I'm sure she wouldn't mind taking her in for awhile."

"Good," said Dumbledore rising from the couch. "I'll leave you two now. Remember, everything must be taken care of as soon as possible. You know where to find me." They nodded and walked him to the door and silently watched as he walked a short distance away before disapparating with a loud crack.


	2. Hidden Away

**I know it isn't Sunday, but I realized I'm going to be out of town for the weekend, and I figured that since the chapter's ready, it's better to update early than late. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story; you all know who you are. I hope you all enjoy this chapter (and review, too, because reviews are wonderful : ) **

Lily paused and tilted her face up towards the sky. Though the day was cool, the sun felt nice on her skin. She would give anything to be able to simply enjoy the afternoon with the twins at the park. She sighed and continued on her way; instead, she was bringing Emily with her to visit Mary Freeman and ask if she would mind taking care of Emily while the rest of the family went into hiding.

In fact, in case Mary agreed, which in her heart Lily knew she would, Emily was already packed. Lily had placed everything she thought her daughter would need, and more, into a small bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm which was currently hiding in Lily's pocket. Lily smiled ruefully at the one-year-old in her arms. I miss her already, she thought. It seems so selfish, to want to keep her close even though she's safer farther away.

The one-year-old in question interrupted her melancholic thoughts by suddenly squirming around in her mother's arms to look Lily in the eye and crying, "Mummy! Birdie!" Emily pointed up to the sky, and Lily laughed.

"It is a birdie. Good eye, Emily." Emily was quiet but kept squirming and craning her neck to look for more birds. A few minutes later, though, her search was interrupted by her mother's knocking; they had arrived. They didn't have to wait long before the door was opened by a four-year-old with sandy blond hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, Stacey," said Lily. "Is your mum home?" The girl nodded then turned and shouted into the house,

"Mum, Lily and Emily are here!" Lily stepped inside, still holding Emily, as a woman with brown hair and brown eyes came down the stairs.

"Lily!" she cried, hugging her friend. "It's so good to see you. And little Emily, too," she added patting the one-year-old on the head. "But this is unexpected. What are you doing here, Lily? Don't you need to work?"

"I need to ask you for a favor," admitted Lily. Mary looked at her quizzically but didn't ask Lily what she meant. Instead, she said, "How does a cup of tea sound? I was just about to make some, and then we can talk."

"That would be great," agreed Lily following her friend back to the kitchen. In the doorway Lily stooped to set Emily down, and the girl was promptly knocked over as a Stacey's twin, Jake, streaked into the kitchen followed by his younger brother, Max, who was screaming.

"Boys!" cried Mary picking up Max and attempting to soothe him. "What did you do, Jake?"

"Nothing," he cried, not convincing her, or Lily, in the slightest. Mary raised her eyebrows at him, and his shoulders slumped. "I took his toy," he muttered.

Lily smiled to herself shaking her head as she checked to see that Emily was all right. The girl was quiet staring at the scene in front of her, thumb in her mouth. Lily never had brothers, so she'd never experienced what she was sure Emily would in the coming weeks.

"What do you say to your brother?" she asked.

"Sorry," said Jake not looking at Max.

"And to Emily?" Jake stared at his mother confused. "You knocked her over when you ran in here," she explained.

"Oh. Sorry."

Setting Max on the floor, Mary said, "Why don't you boys show Emily the toys in the other room and play nicely together while Lily and I talk?"

Immediately, the boys were off; Emily looked up at her mother. "Go on," said Lily nudging her after them. "Go play." And then Emily was off as well, her hair streaking out behind her as if it were on fire.

"She looks just like you," commented Mary watching Emily run after the boys. Lily smiled,

"Except she has her father's hazel eyes. I only wonder whose personality she'll inherit."

"Oh, she'll be a fine mix of the two of you with some unexpected twists, I'm sure," answered Mary heating a kettle of water on the stove. The two of them chatted about their school days, their work, their families, and the war as the water heated and Mary stirred in the tea leaves.

"Now," said Mary as she set a cup of tea in front of Lily and settled into her chair. "You mentioned earlier that you needed a favor."

Lily nodded then said in a rush, "Last night, Dumbledore told James and me that Voldemort was going to try to kill Harry." Mary flinched at the sound of his name, but Lily ignored her and continued. "He told us to go into hiding, but he said since Emily wasn't the target, she'd be safer elsewhere. And so James and I thought. . ."

Mary nodded looking at Lily with understanding. "You thought that Emily could stay with us." Lily just looked with pleading eyes at her friend. "Well, of course, she can, Lily! Emily can stay however long is necessary."

"You're sure?" asked Lily, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "It wouldn't be any trouble?"

"Of course not. I'll tell Mike when he gets home tonight, but I know he won't have any problem with it."

"Thank you," whispered Lily reaching across the table to grasp Mary's hands. "How can we ever repay you?"

"You don't have to," she said shaking her head. "This is what friends are for. Besides, I have a responsibility to Emily as her godmother. And I know you would do the same for me if I needed it."

Lily smiled and reached into the pocket of her jacket hanging on her chair and took out the small bag. She handed it to Mary. "Emily's things are in there. Extension charm."

"Of course." The two women stood up and headed to the room where the children were playing.

"Emily," said Lily. At the sound of her voice, Emily looked up and immediately came running to her mother. Lily smiled. She knelt down and unclasped the locket hanging around her neck and placed it around Emily's. "You're going to stay with Mary and the boys for awhile," she told her daughter. "You'll be living with them until I come to get you. Do you understand?" The little girl nodded, hearing her mother but not understanding what the words really meant. Lily hugged Emily tightly and kissed her cheek. Emily kissed her back. "Goodbye, sweetie. I'll see you soon," said Lily standing up.

"Bye, mummy," replied Emily watching her mother leave with Mary.

The two women stopped at the door and hugged each other tightly. "Good luck, Lily," whispered Mary.

"Thanks. You too."

They released each other, and Lily opened the door, stepped outside, and closed the door behind her. Mary returned to the three children watching them play. Behind her Stacey, who had been listening from the stairs, asked, "How long is Emily staying?"

"I don't know, honey," her mother replied. "However long is necessary."


	3. The Boy Who Lived

**Thank you to everyone who is reading this story (especially if you review, favorite, or alert—you know who you are : ). I realized that I haven't yet put a disclaimer on this story, so here it is. **

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the original owner of the Harry Potter series; I'm just the owner of the Scarlet Lioness story. Her characters are hers, and my characters are mine; her ideas are hers, and my ideas are mine. **

**Just a side note: there are some random lines dividing the story. Only one of them is supposed to be there, but I can't get rid of the others. Stupid AutoCorrect! I guess you'll just have to deal like I've been. Sorry!**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

October 31st, 1981

There was a new moon that night, and the only light came from the stars twinkling in the sky and the streetlamps in the distance. The air was filled with the sound of children shouting to each other as they ran from house to house dressed up in costumes collecting candy. Voldemort sneered to himself. It was an idiotic Muggle custom. They believed magic wasn't real and so felt perfectly safe pretending to be witches and vampires and ghouls on the ancient feast of Samhain, or Halloween as it was now called. He should have planned something for his Death Eaters for tonight. The terror they normally would have inflicted would have been doubled. Oh well. He continued on his way; the Potters were more important.

As he walked down the street, children instinctively veered away from him or stood frozen in the safety of the doorways until he had passed. The brats feared him. Voldemort chuckled to himself. And so they should. One boy however, a teenager who appeared to be slightly drunk, broke away from a group on a dare and approached him.

"Hey you! What are you supposed be, huh? Aren't you a little old to be trick-or-treating, mister?" he laughed stupidly glancing back at his friends who nodded in encouragement.

Voldemort stopped and turned to face him. The teenager tottered toward him, stumbling the last few steps. Voldemort grabbed his neck and clenched his fist. The boy began spluttering and wheezing. The Dark Lord stared deep into his eyes, sifting through his memories. At last he smiled a cold smile that boded ill for the boy he was strangling. He released the boy, who fell to the ground, reached into his robes, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the boy. A moment later there were giant beetles crawling out of his clothes and up his body. The boy stared scrambling backward away from Voldemort who smiled with satisfaction from the fear he had inflicted. The fear was much better than simply killing the boy. He didn't bother hiding his wand in his robes. He held it openly and continued on his way, every step bringing him closer to the Potters, closer to ending the threat that the boy posed.

Three minutes later he stopped in front of a gate and looked through it at the house. There was a light on inside. He could see them. They were laughing and talking, the Mudblood holding the baby. Fools, he thought derisively. Did they really think they were safe behind those walls? Did they think their friends would protect them? Not likely, when it was their Secret Keeper, a man they thought a friend, who had betrayed them.

Impatient, Voldemort waved his wand, and the gate swung open. He proceeded up the path towards the door. Another wave, and the door, too, swung open, hitting the wall with a crash. From the living room he heard the woman scream and the man call, "Run, Lily, take Harry! I'll hold him off." Hold him off? Did the fool really expect to be able to hold off Lord Voldemort? He headed towards the living room and was met by the man running around the corner. Fool, he thought. He doesn't even have a wand. What does he expect to accomplish? Without pausing, Voldemort raised his wand and cried, "Avada Kedavra!"

Before him the man tumbled to the floor, his glasses flying across the room. Without breaking his stride, he stepped over the corpse making his way towards the far side of the room, following the sound of the woman's running footsteps. Silently, he glided upstairs after her and found her in the room at the end of the hall. Turning, the woman faced him, her red hair flying, panic on her face.

Keeping herself between the boy and him, she begged, "Please, not Harry, not Harry. Have mercy. Take me instead. Don't harm Harry."

Her pleas reminded him of another's, one of his own who pleaded for the woman's life to be spared. Very well, he would give the girl one chance to live. "Get out of my way. You don't have to die tonight. Lord Voldemort is merciful. Step aside, and I will spare you."

She shook her head furiously, crying, "Not Harry, please, I beg you."

Stupid girl, thought Voldemort. Why didn't she save herself rather than die in vain? But that was her problem, not his, and since he had to, he would kill her as easily as he killed her husband. "Step aside, silly girl," he shouted raising his wand. She didn't move, and he cried out the fatal curse directing his wand and all his anger at her. "Avada Kedavra!" She screamed as green light lit up the room, and then all was silent. Stepping over her body, Voldemort pointed his wand at the boy. How could something so small and helpless ever hope to pose a threat to him? It didn't matter now. The boy had to die, or he would grow up to oppose him. He straightened his arm and drew breath to perform the curse once more that night. "Avada Kedavra!"

Green light burst once more into the room and, with it, a scream. Voldemort realized it was his own. He was in agony, blinding, burning, never-ending agony. He was wrenched apart, but still it didn't end. His spirit was thrown into the air, and then all was black.

All over the country secrecy was thrown to the wind as the entire wizarding community celebrated the downfall of You-Know-Who.

Owls flew back and forth in broad daylight carrying the news, and thoroughly confusing the Muggles. Wizards and witches everywhere shot fireworks into the sky from their wands with no regard to what the Muggles would think of the apparent shooting stars streaking across the sky. And everywhere, they gathered together on the streets disregarding Muggle attire to whisper to one another.

And the rumors flew faster than the owls. The Potters were dead, killed by You-Know-Who. Their boy, Harry, was the only one to survive. And what's more, when You-Know-Who tried to kill the baby, the curse rebounded, and You-Know-Who disappeared, defeated by a baby.

This was a day to go down in history; the war was over; their friends and families would be safe. But, of course, not everyone had given themselves over to celebration. Scattered across the country were Ministry officials, frantically searching for Sirius Black, the Potters' Secret Keeper and the one who had betrayed them to You-Know-Who.

In his office Dumbledore stood by the window staring out into the grounds, thinking. What could they, what could he, have done differently? Could they have been saved? Out of the corner of his eye a bundle of silvery fabric shined. If he hadn't asked to borrow it, would they have been able to get away? Dumbledore closed his eyes and forced aside the regret and guilt to look toward the future. Harry would have to be protected, and Emily too, because Voldemort would one day return. He turned from the window, taking out his wand and placing it on his temple. Sighing, he pulled it away; attached to the tip of his wand, was a strand of silvery substance that was not liquid, nor gas but something in between. Placing it in a stone basin beside his desk, Dumbledore sat down and began composing his plans for Harry, Emily, and the entire wizarding world to protect them from Voldemort's return.

In small, dingy room miles away, a black-haired man sat on the bed in the corner of the room cradling his head in his hands sobbing his heart out.

And even farther away, Mary stood in her doorway staring up at the sky and the celebratory fireworks, grieving. She bit her lip, and tears cascaded down her face. Oh, Lily, she thought. Why did it have to end like this? You and James had your whole lives ahead of you. You had friends who loved you and two children who meant everything to you.

Mary hunched over sobbing even harder, her hand over her heart at the thought of the children. Poor Emily and Harry. They would never know their parents. And they were too young to remember what little time they spent with them. Poor Emily and Harry. What was going to happen to them?

Mary looked back up at the sky and the fireworks that still lit them up, shaking her head, then turned and went back inside, closing the door on the celebrations occurring throughout the country.

**Reading quiz question #1 (an easy question): who was the unnamed man "sobbing his heart out"? **

**Please review! (If only to answer the question : )**


	4. The Girl Who Was Forgotten

**I realized again that I'm going out of town, so here's the update a couple days early. I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed, added this story to your favorites and/or alerts list. Keep it up! And welcome, to any new readers; I hope you're enjoying the story. **

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series is not mine (and neither is the scene of Harry being dropped off at the Dursley's though I have tweaked it a bit). Emily, however, is completely my creation; if not, this story wouldn't really exist would it?**

The sun was setting as a car turned onto Privet Drive and pulled into Number 4. A big, beefy man extricated himself from the car and headed toward the door only to stop and scowl when he spotted a tabby cat with square markings around its eyes sitting on the wall. Glaring at the cat, he proceeded to the door and slammed it shut behind him.

The cat glanced back at where he disappeared then returned its attention to the street, waiting. The cat was still there when hours later the stars had come out, and all the residents of Privet Drive had gone to bed. All was quiet.

Crack! The cat's head whipped in the direction of the sound and watched as a man straightened, his long silver beard glittering in the light from the streetlamps. He took a small silver object from his pocket and clicked it. With every click, the nearest streetlamp winked out. Job complete, he stowed the device back in his pocket and walked over to the cat, sitting down beside it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall," he said turning toward the cat, but in its place sat a woman wearing an emerald green cloak, her black hair pulled back in a tight bun.

"Dumbledore," she acknowledged.

"What are you doing here, Minerva?" he asked.

"Waiting for you," she replied. "What happened, Dumbledore? Is it true? Are the Potters really dead?"

He nodded, his eyes subdued. "Yes, Lily and James are dead."

"Oh, Albus. And Harry? Are the rumors true?"

Again, Dumbledore nodded. "Somehow the boy survived."

"And now, what's to become of him?"

"He'll live with his aunt and uncle," replied Dumbledore glancing at the house behind them.

McGonagall caught the look and said, "You don't mean these people, surely, Albus? There isn't a family in the world less like us. The boy will grow up ignorant of our world."

Dumbledore shook his head. "They are his only family. Besides, I've written a letter to them explaining the matter."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. A letter, no matter how long, could never explain all this. But Dumbledore must have his reasons; he always did even if he chose not to share them. "Where is the boy now?" she asked squinting at Dumbledore as if suspecting him of hiding the boy under his cloak.

"He's with Hagrid. They should be here shortly." Before he had even finished the sentence, they heard a roaring from above them. A gigantic black motorcycle descended from the sky. Sitting behind the wheel a bundle of blankets in his arms, was Hagrid. He clambered down from the motorcycle holding the bundle in his arms with utmost care.

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," he said.

"Any trouble, Hagrid?" asked Dumbledore.

"Nope," replied Hagrid. "The lad's sleeping now."

Taking the boy from Hagrid, Dumbledore placed Harry on the doorstep and set the letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Dursley beside him. Stepping back, Dumbledore murmured, "Goodbye, Harry. Good luck." The three of them left, Hagrid disappearing into the dark sky on the motorcycle and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall with a loud _crack_. The little boy slept on, oblivious to everything, the lightning bolt scar on his forehead gleaming in the dark.

The sun was shining brightly, and Mary, sighing often, was making a pot of tea early in the morning when there was a loud, insistent knock at the door that brought her back to the world of the living. She hurried to open the door before the noise woke the children. On the other side of the door stood Dumbledore who was examining the ivy creeping up the rails of the porch.

"Dumbledore," exclaimed Mary surprised. "Come in," she said stepping back from the door.

"Thank you," he said smiling at her as he stepped over the threshold. He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Tea?" asked Mary.

"Please."

She poured two cups from the pot and sat down across from Dumbledore. "What can I do for you, Professor?" asked Mary.

"Well, I'm sure you have some sort of idea of why I'm here," he began.

Mary interrupted him before he could continue. "You're here because of Emily."

"Yes."

"What is going to happen to her?"

"What do you mean?" asked Dumbledore stalling. Mary just looked at him, waiting. He sighed and smiled hopefully at her. "Well, I was rather hoping you and your husband would raise her, Mary. You are, I believe, the girl's legal guardians."

"We are," confirmed Mary. Then she smiled, her whole face brightening. "Could we? Could we really raise Emily?" Dumbledore smiled gently at her and nodded. "I'll admit it; I was hoping we'd be able to. I just couldn't bear the thought of losing Emily as well as Lily." She paused as she suddenly thought of something. "What about Harry? What will happen to him?"

"Harry is going to live with his aunt and uncle, Lily's sister and her husband."

"Shouldn't Emily and Harry stay together? We could take Harry in as well; it wouldn't be any trouble"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid that the twins cannot stay together. While Voldemort is indeed gone, he is not dead. He will return one day maybe in a year, maybe in ten years, and he will most assuredly try to kill Harry again." Mary opened her mouth, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop her and continued. "It's safer for both of them to remain separated. And it's safer for Emily if no one knows she is Harry's twin sister. You must make her your daughter, even in name. No one must suspect she's anything but your daughter. Can you do that?"

Mary looked thoughtful. "Yes," she said nodding. "Of course. But what about Emily? Can she know?"

"Yes," he said finally. "But not right now. You should tell her before she comes to Hogwarts, but you must teach her discretion." Mary nodded. "I'll tell her. After all, she should know, and I'll make sure she keeps it secret. But what about the rest of the world? There are many people who know Lily and James had a daughter as well as a son."

"When I return to school, I will cast a General Forgetting Spell. No one will remember that she is anything but your daughter. Only you, your husband, and I will remember the truth. Not anyone else in the wizarding world, not anyone in the Muggle world. James and Lily's friends won't remember, your own children won't remember, and not even Emily and Harry themselves will remember. The only way someone could know is if they are told," said Dumbledore rising. "Now, I really must return to the school. Thank you for the tea, Mary. And thank you for agreeing to take her in." She started to rise, but Dumbledore stopped her. "I can see myself out, Mary. Thank you."

Mary sat back down and watched Dumbledore go. No one would remember. Only Dumbledore could cast a spell like that, she thought shaking her head.

**Reviews are great! I'd really like to hear from you, and I can promise that no matter what you say, I will respond, so ask questions, give advice, anything. (It might take a bit to get a response, though, since I'm going out of town—no internet access where I'm going.) **

**Just a comment about the General Forgetting Spell: Dumbledore says that for someone to learn Emily's identity, they must be told the truth, but there are those with exceptionally strong minds who can recognize the resemblance between Emily and Lily and figure out the truth on their own. This will come up later. (hint, hint) **


	5. Part of the Family

**I know this is definitely not one of the days I usually update, but I had so little homework to do today that I spent a good share of my afternoon and evening just writing. This chapter is about the interactions between Emily and her "siblings" (Stacey, Jake, and Max), both the bad times and the good. Right now, Emily doesn't know she's adopted; she's never doubted that she was born into the family. **

**And now for the disclaimer: I do not own the general background for this story (HP series), but I do own this chapter and story and characters such as Emily, Stacey, Jake, and Max. **

**Enjoy!**

Two Years Later (1983)

"Go away, Emily!" shouted Stacey turning around and facing the younger girl. "Stop following me around. Go do something else."

"But I want to play with you," replied the three year old, looking innocently up at her older sister with wide hazel eyes. Stacey glared at her.

"I'm not going to play with you. I already told you a hundred times." Stacey deliberately turned around and walked away, ignoring Emily who skipped after her, a little redhead shadow. Emily followed Stacey upstairs and into their bedroom. Stacey slammed the door behind her then turned to find Emily already seated on her bed.

"This is my room, too, you know," piped up Emily cheerfully. "You can't tell me to go away in here."

Stacey narrowed her eyes at her younger sister. "No, but in a few years, we won't share a room everyday. In fact, I won't see you for months at a time, and I'm looking forward to it!"

Emily was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"In four years Jake and I are going to Hogwarts. It's the best school of magic in the world. And Max will go, too, when he's eleven."

"So will I," said Emily happily. "I'm a witch, too, and when I go to Hogwarts, you'll have to see me all the time again."

Stacey continued to glare at her; Emily was too cheerful and just plain annoying. Then she smiled nastily. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Emily."

"What do you mean?" asked Emily confused.

"Well, I don't think you'll go to Hogwarts. They won't accept you."

"Why not?"

"Well, you're probably a squib, someone who can't do any magic that is. I mean everyone knows that almost every redhead is a squib, and if you're a squib, you can't go to Hogwarts to learn magic."

"Maybe, I won't be a squib," said Emily hopefully, but her fingers found the gold locket around her neck and gripped it tightly. She had had that locket for as long as she could remember though she couldn't open it. She wore it everyday; its weight around her neck comforted her, and she would clutch it as if her life depended on it whenever she was worried, or nervous, or frightened. Of course was a witch!, she thought. Why wouldn't she be one? But Stacey always knew what she was talking about, and maybe she was right. Emily's stomach clenched in fear and worry, and her eyes prickled, tears forming in the corners.

"Maybe you won't be," agreed Stacey, "but even if you do get accepted into Hogwarts, you're going to be Sorted into Slytherin. That's the worst House there is; every dark witch and wizard came from Slytherin, even You-Know-Who."

Emily stared at her sister in horror. "Are you sure?" Stacey nodded solemnly.

"Of course, I'm sure." Emily continued to stare at her, lip quivering, then she burst into sobs and ran out of the room.

Stacey watched her go feeling just a little bit guilty. She didn't want to make her cry; she just wanted to make Emily stop bothering her.

Barely able to see through her tears, Emily thudded down the stairs and out the front door. She sat down on the porch steps and stared at the ground sobbing. Of course she was a witch! Wasn't she? Why didn't Stacey think she was a witch? And she would never be in Slytherin! She wasn't evil. But what if she was put in Slytherin? Would that be worse than not going to Hogwarts at all?

Emily sat there staring at the ground until all her tears dried up, and she couldn't cry anymore even if she wanted to. She continued to sit there gripping her locket, not knowing what to do. Stacey didn't want her around, and anyways she didn't want to play with Stacey anymore either.

"Hey, Carrot Head!" Emily looked up. Jake had come around the corner of the house and was walking toward her, followed by Max. "Why are you sitting on the steps?" The two of them stopped in front of her and looked down at her, sitting on the step.

Emily smiled looking up at them. "Stacey told me to go away."

"And you listened to her?" asked Max in disbelief while Jake grinned.

"Of course not," replied Emily indignant. But then she quieted. "She told me I wasn't going to get accepted into Hogwarts because redheads are usually squibs, and even if I did get accepted into Hogwarts, I would be Sorted into Slytherin."

Jake's grin faded. "I'm sure she didn't mean it," he said.

Emily shook her head. "She meant it," she said earnestly.

"Well, I mean it, too," said Jake. "You're not going to be Sorted into Slytherin. You're too Emily to be Sorted anywhere but Gryffindor."

"What do you mean," asked Emily quizzically. Max also looked at Jake, confused.

"Gryffindor's color is red," he explained. "It matches your hair too well for you to be Sorted anywhere else, Carrot Head." Max laughed at that for it was true; Emily's hair was almost the exact shade as the Gryffindor red, and Emily joined in feeling relieved. Jake seemed just as sure she would be Sorted into Gryffindor as Stacey was that she would be Sorted into Slytherin. And she'd rather believe Jake anyway. After all, she didn't want to be in Slytherin if she could help it.

"C'mon," said Jake reaching down a hand to her and pulling her to her feet. "We're going to play Gobstones in the back of the house, and we need one more person. Do you want to play?"

Emily nodded smiling. Gobstones was fun, especially with Jake and Max. They always ended up getting into a "Stink Battle" to see who would smell the worst after the game. Emily smiled wickedly to herself; the smell was going to make Stacey so mad! The boys had already started heading around the house, so Emily followed them, skipping happily, all her worries and tears from the past hour quickly forgotten.

**An update should still be coming this weekend like usual; today was just a special circumstance. Next up: Emily learns she was adopted, she is a Potter, and she has a twin brother. That will be a lot to take in! **

**As always, please review! I will always give you a response of some sort no matter what you say. **


	6. Dream and Discovery

**New update! Two in one week, aren't you all so lucky? :) And I'm sure you've all been looking forward to this chapter: Emily learns she's adopted! Unfortunately, my computer hates me, so you'll have to deal with the random line breaks in the story; I can't get rid of them, and they bother me so much. Ughh! **

**Anyways, all HP belongs to JK Rowling; all Emily, other characters and plot twists belong to me. Now on with the story!**

Two Years Later (1985)

_Everything was dark and quiet. Freezing wind blew in from the open window raising hairs on her arms, and from below there was the sound of a door slamming. Inexplicable fear gripped her, and she looked for somewhere to run, to hide when she heard shouts and footsteps pounding up the stairs toward her. A woman burst i__nto the room. She had red hair and was carrying a baby. She placed him in the crib then turned, her body shielding the boy, at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. _

_Emily drew back into the shadows as a tall man wearing black robes entered the room. He was bald, and his skin was chalky gray. He had red eyes and slits for nostrils. In his outstretched hand he held a wand. _

_The redheaded woman began to cry. "Please, not Harry, not Harry. Have mercy. Take me instead. Don't harm Harry." _

"_Get out of my way. You don't have to die tonight. Lord Voldemort is merciful. Step aside, and I will spare you." _

_The woman shook her head furiously, crying, "Not Harry, please, I beg you." _

"_Step aside, silly girl," the man shouted raising his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" _

_The woman screamed as green light lit up the room, and then all was silent. Stepping over her body, the man pointed his wand at the baby. After a moment's pause he shouted "Avada Kedavra!" _

_And this time it was Emily who screamed __as green light lit up the room. She heard the man screaming, too, as black smoke exploded from his body, enveloped the baby boy, then disappeared into the night. Emily kept screaming and screaming without knowing why._

Mary rushed into Emily's room to find her thrashing around on her bed and screaming. She sat down next to Emily and pulled the little girl to her. Holding her tight, Mary rocked her back and forth. "It's all right, Emily. It's all right. Oh, Emily. It was just a dream. Just a dream."

Emily's screams changed to sobs as Mary held her, and finally, her sobs subsided as Mary rocked her back and forth on her bed. "Here now," said Mary tipping up Emily's chin and looking her in the eye. "How about a mug of hot chocolate? How does that sound, huh?"

Emily smiled and nodded tiredly. "Hot chocolate sounds perfect!" she announced. The five-year old followed Mary downstairs and sat at the kitchen table while Mary made hot chocolate. Mary stayed quiet until she set down the two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and settled herself into the chair opposite of Emily.

"So what was it, honey? Your nightmare, do you want to talk about it?"

Emily was silent staring into her hot chocolate. Finally, she looked up and met Mary's eyes. Emily told her everything she had heard and seen in the dream. As Emily told her about her nightmare, Mary's eyes got wider and wider, and her hot chocolate remained on the table, untouched. How could this be, Mary wondered. She's describing the night You-Know-Who killed her parents. But she wasn't there. How does she know what happened? Her thoughts were soon interrupted, though.

"What does it mean, Mum?" asked Emily.

Mary sighed and took a sip of her hot chocolate. The girl deserved to know the truth, didn't she? And she did promise Dumbledore all those years ago that should would tell Emily the truth. Mary bit her lip and set the mug on the table, unsure of what to say, of how to start. However, some of her thoughts must have been written on her face because Emily asked, "You know what it means, don't you? Who was that woman and the baby? And that was You-Know-Who in the dream, wasn't it? Why was he there?" She said it in a rush without pausing for breath then looked expectantly at Mary, waiting for an answer.

Mary looked Emily directly in the eyes. "Very well. If you want to know, you shall. But remember, once you know, it can never be forgotten no matter how much you may wish to do so."

Emily nodded unsure, but she had to know what the dream meant. It had scared her so much, and she wanted to know why.

Mary sighed. "The woman with red hair in your dream was your mother. And the baby was your twin brother, Harry. Harry Potter."

Emily stared, her mouth hanging wide open. "My—my mother? You mean you're not. . . Harry Potter—the Harry Potter—is my. . .? Are you sure?"

"Come here," said Mary quietly. Emily slowly got off her chair, walked around the table, and crawled into Mary's lap. Stroking Emily's hair, Mary told her why Lily brought her here, how her parents never wanted to leave her, and how she and Harry were separated to keep them safe. "You must always remember," she continued, "to never tell anyone any of this. No one must know you're Emily Potter."

"Do Stacey, Jake and Max know?" Is that why they always teased me about not looking like I belong in the family with my red hair, because they already knew I didn't really belong in the family?

Mary shook her head. "No, and you must never tell them. Mike and I know, and Professor Dumbledore knows, but no one else does, and it must stay that way."

"Why here of all places?" Emily asked quietly. "Why did my mother bring me here?" She wasn't complaining about it; she loved living here. She just was curious.

"Oh, Emily," smiled Mary, "didn't I tell you? I'm your godmother."

They lapsed into silence, both of them thinking about the time four years ago. Emily's head was reeling; it was all so much to take in. The people she thought were he mum and dad weren't; her real parents were the famous Potters and were dead. And Harry Potter, the Harry Potter, was her twin brother. She could hardly believe it. Then Emily asked suddenly, "Should I still call you 'Mum'?" Mary's heart tightened in her chest, and she smiled sadly.

"It would probably be best if you don't mind. After all, to the world you are Emily Freeman, my daughter."

"Okay," murmured Emily. After a moment she asked. "Why did I have that dream? I mean, it really happened didn't it? But I wasn't there, so how am I dreaming about it?"

"I think," replied Mary thoughtfully, "it's because you and Harry are twins. Twins often have a special connection; they know what the other is thinking or if the other is hurt."

"So Harry was dreaming about that, and I dreamt it because I can share his dreams?" That would be so cool if they could, thought Emily. To share dreams and thoughts.

"I really don't know, Emily."

"Does Harry know about me?" Emily asked excitedly. Does he know why we were separated? Does he want to meet me as much as I want to meet him?

"No, he doesn't remember you. You haven't seen each other since you were one year old, after all. And Professor Dumbledore cast a spell so that no one, not even Harry, would remember that your parents had a daughter, that you and Harry are twins. You will see him at Hogwarts in a few years, though." Mary looked down at Emily and smiled softly at her. She was taking it rather well, almost as if she knew in her heart that she wasn't born in this family.

"Can I tell him we're twins?" Emily's voice once again interrupted Mary's thoughts; she shook her head to clear it.

"Yes, but be careful who you tell. You must make sure that if you tell someone who you are, they will keep it a secret. Promise?" Mary stared intently at Emily. This was the most important part of the conversation: Emily had to be able to keep the secret for her own sake, for her brother's sake, and for the sake of the entire wizarding world even.

"I promise," said Emily solemnly. Mary sighed in relief. She knew Emily understood the seriousness of keeping her identity secret and wouldn't go around telling anyone and everyone. Thank goodness, too, because that would be a disaster, and when You-Know-Who did return, as Dumbledore claimed he would, neither Emily nor Harry would be safe.

"I think that's enough for tonight," said Mary. "Time for you to go back to bed. It's almost morning."

Yawning, Emily followed her out of the kitchen and upstairs. Back in bed, Emily stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Harry Potter was her twin brother. She couldn't believe it. He was the most famous boy in the entire Wizarding World, and he was her twin brother. She couldn't wait to meet him face-to-face in a few years and tell him. They would have a lot of fun at school together. She just knew it.

Emily grinned happily into the dark for awhile, but then her thoughts turned toward the red haired woman from her dream, her mother, and her smile faded. I wish I knew her, she thought sadly. I'm named after her—Emily Lily, but I don't remember her at all. All these years I thought Mary was my mother, but it turns out she's my godmother. Her eyes prickled, and tears streamed onto her cheeks. I love Mary, I really do, but I wish I could remember my mother.

Emily lay in her bed, silently crying, until she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought before falling unconscious was _I wonder if I'll share another dream with Harry. _

Miles away Harry awoke, sitting up quickly and banging his head on the low ceiling of his cupboard. He gasped, but did not cry out. He didn't want to wake his aunt and uncle; they liked him little enough as it was without being woken in the middle of the night by him screaming. Rubbing his head, Harry lay back down and tried to remember why he had woken up. He had had a dream. Most of it was already fading from his mind, but he knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Even just thinking about it, his stomach was clenching in fear. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember. A flash of green light. And a laugh. A high-pitched laugh. That was it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything else. What did it mean he wondered closing his eyes. But before he could come up with an answer, he fell asleep.

**Well, what do you think? Please drop a review and leave any comments and/or questions; I promise that I'll respond. **


	7. Photos, Questions and School

**Hey, I'm sorry this is posted kind of late. I wanted to add some things to this chapter (namely, the scenes with Harry), but I had no time whatsoever until tonight. If you don't believe me, listen to this: I had eight tests this week and still got a mountain of homework for the weekend! Anyways, thank you to those of you who have been reviewing. I especially like it when you reply to my reply to your review then keep messaging me about the story (cough, cough I-Siriusly-Love-Black). In answer to a question someone asked, no I am not going to be skipping to when they go to school now, and there's two reasons for that. One, I wanted to show the differences in Emily's and Harry's childhoods, and two, I wanted to have some fun with magical incidents at muggle schools. **

**Disclaimer: So as usual, J.K. Rowling gets her fair share of credit, but I still claim some credit for what goes on in this story ****. This is a longer chapter, so I hope you enjoy. **

Emily awoke to autumn sun shining through her window onto her face. She blinked blearily and looked around. All was quiet. Stacey, Jake, and Max had already left for the school in the village. Until the children were old enough to attend Hogwarts, Mike and Mary sent them to the Muggle school in the village to learn reading, writing, and how Muggles lived. This year would be Emily's first year in the Muggle school, but she didn't start until tomorrow.

Emily climbed out of bed and padded down the steps to the kitchen. Mary was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea and reading _The Prophet_. "Morning, Emily," she said looking up as Emily came in.

"Morning," she replied sitting at the table where there was a glass of juice and a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon.

"After breakfast, I have something to show you," commented Mary absently as she turned a page of the newspaper.

"What is it?" Emily asked eagerly, her curiosity aroused.

"You'll see," said Mary cryptically and wouldn't say anything more. Emily hurriedly wolfed down her breakfast; the sooner to find out what Mary wanted to show her.

"I'm done!" she declared bouncing up from her seat and putting her dishes in the sink. "What are you going to show me?"

Mary looked up at Emily and laughed. "My, someone's in a hurry. Come on," she said getting up and leading Emily to the den. Emily sat on the couch next to Mary and looked around.

"What-" she began but then saw Mary pulling a small bundle out of her pocket. "What is it?" she asked curiously, leaning in for a closer look. Mary handed it to her. The bundle was a small bag.

"Your mother gave it to me when she left you here. It held some clothes, books, and jewelry among other things. It's yours, and since you now know the truth, I thought you should have this as well."

Emily reached into the bag and felt around. "There's no bottom!" she said surprised.

Mary nodded, "There's an Undetectable Extension Charm on the bag."

Emily reached farther in until her whole arm up to her shoulder was inside the bag. Her hand hit against something hard, and she pulled it out. It was a photo album. The cover read

_Lily Evans and James Potter_

_Married August 27, 1979_

Emily looked at Mary then back at the album. Then slowly, her hand trembling, she turned the cover. Her eyes grew watery as she turned the pages; there was their wedding, Harry and Emily's christening ceremony, pictures of her, her parents, and Harry. On the next page there were no pictures. It simply read _Lily_. Emily turned the page and found herself staring at the picture of a red haired girl who looked exactly like her.

"You look like Lily," commented Mary. "Except for the eyes, you have your father's eyes."

Emily stroked the page in amazement. She did not turn the pages anymore. She could look at the other photos another day. She could look at the rest of the items in the bag another day. For now, she just wanted to look at the picture of her mother, a woman she could not remember but whom she looked exactly like. She was so absorbed in the photo that she didn't notice when Mary, after awhile, quietly rose and left the room, leaving Emily to look at the photos of her lost family in privacy.

Harry woke up to the sound of Dudley stomping down the stairs above his head. He woke Harry up like that every day and would never get tired of it. Harry yawned and stretched his arms as far as they could go over his head. Staring at the bottom of the stairs of his cupboard he remembered the dream he had had the previous night. He shuddered just remembering it. It was the worst dream he could ever imagine having. What did it mean he wondered again as he climbed to his feet and crawled out of the cupboard.

On the way to the kitchen Harry caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. His black hair was as messy as usual, standing up every which way and resisting all attempts to control it with a comb. His green eyes looked stared back at him from behind a pair of broken glasses. But what had caught his eye was the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. He had had it as long as he could remember and just took it for granted. He never wondered where he had gotten it from until now.

Harry knew, without being able to explain how he knew, that his scar and the dream he had last night were somehow related. He continued to the kitchen with thoughts of his dream and his scar filling his mind.

As he entered, Aunt Petunia looked up from by the stove. "Oh, you're up," she said irritated.

"Aunt Petunia," said Harry suddenly, "how did I get my scar?" He didn't even know why he asked. It sort of slipped out.

Aunt Petunia looked at him sharply, a strange look on her face. "You got that scar in the car crash that killed your parents," she said slowly. Then regaining her customary brisk tone, "Now, don't ask questions, Understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," said Harry dutifully. A car crash? His parents died in a car crash? Then what was the green light and the laugh? He was so sure his dream was about the night his parents died, but it just didn't seem to fit. Harry didn't know what to think anymore. As he ate breakfast, he kept glancing over at Aunt Petunia who would always be watching him with a strange look on her face, as if she knew something more, something she wasn't telling.

Emily skipped happily holding Mary's hand the next day as together they walked to Cranbrook Primary School. Today was her first day at the Muggle school, and she couldn't wait. She was going to make lots of friends, and school would give her something to do when Stacey, Jake, and Max went to Hogwarts and left her all alone.

The early morning streets were crowded as Muggles bustled to and fro, going to work, to school, to the store. In the distance, Emily could make out the tall, three-story red-brick building that was the school. It loomed ever closer as she and Mary maneuvered their way through the crowds.

When they reached the school, Mary stopped and looked down at Emily who was staring at the school. She felt a slight twinge in her chest. Emily was growing up so fast. Today, she was starting primary school, but in a few years she would start at Hogwarts, and not long after that, she would be of age and move out of the house. Mary could feel her eyes beginning to tear up and quickly blinked before they could spill over. She squeezed Emily's hand and said, "Well, Emily, are you ready?"

Emily turned toward her and nodded, her hazel eyes shining. "This is exciting!" she announced. But then she leaned in towards Mary and whispered, "But it will be even more exciting when I get my letter."

Mary laughed. "Of course not, but that's not for a few years still. Today you're starting primary school, so shall we go inside?"

Emily nodded and followed Mary up the steps and into the school still holding her hand, albeit a bit more tightly. Now that they had arrived, Emily discovered she was nervous. She'd never been around Muggles her own age before. She was afraid she would say or do something wrong, and they would know there was something strange about her. Biting her lip, Emily looked around as she followed Mary down a long hallway, around a corner, down some steps, and then down another hallway. At the third door on the right Mary stopped, and Emily peered inside. The classroom was full of five- and six-year old boys and girls laughing and playing together.

Emily turned to Mary and, staring up at her wide-eyed, said, "Don't go yet."

Mary reached down to hug Emily, and Emily hugged her tightly back planning to never let go if she could help it. "I have to go, Emily, but I'll see you this afternoon. Everything will be fine; you'll have a great time today and make lots of new friends. I love you."

"I love you, too," said Emily, her head buried in Mary's sweater. Mary reluctantly disentangled herself from the little redhead's grasp, and Emily watched as Mary turned around and walked slowly back down the hallway, up the steps, and around the corner. Biting her lip again, Emily turned back toward the classroom and stepped inside. She stood just inside the door with her back to the wall and watched the other children talking and laughing loudly. In a corner at the back was a large brown desk covered in books and papers. Sitting in the chair behind the desk was a young woman with curly brown hair and glasses. In front of her desk was a blue carpet covered in giant red, green, purple, and yellow circles.

Just then a bell rang loudly right above Emily's head. The woman looked up, clapped her hands, and called, "Children, could you all please take a seat on the carpet?" Emily joined the group moving toward the carpet and took a seat on a red circle at the end in the back. A girl with white-blond hair and light blue eyes sat down next to her. On the other side of the blond girl was a girl with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"Hi," said the blond girl. "My name's Sara."

"And I'm Charlotte," said the brown haired girl.

"I'm Emily."

"Your hair's really pretty," said Charlotte. Sara nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Thanks," said Emily quietly. Then gaining more confidence added, "You have pretty hair, too. And eyes." The three girls smiled at each other. And simple exchange was the beginning of a close friendship that would last years.

Harry followed Dudley and Aunt Petunia up the steps to a large gray brick building. Little Whinging Public Primary. He and Dudley were both starting primary school. Harry, unlike Dudley, had been looking forward to starting school. Today, he had the chance to make friends that Dudley couldn't scare away. It was all Harry could do to stop himself from skipping up the steps. He didn't want to show Dudley how excited he was; if Dudley knew, then he was sure to make sure today was the worst day of Harry's life. Fortunately, Dudley was too wrapped up in his own problems to care about Harry.

"Why do I have to go?" he cried up ahead dragging his feet along the steps. "I don't want to go to school."

"Shh, shh," said Aunt Petunia trying to calm him down. "It's okay, darling. You're going to have so much fun; you'll meet so many friends today."

"Why is he here?" cried Dudley again, pointing at Harry. "I won't be able to make any friends if he's around. He'll scare them all off." More likely they'll run away scared the minute Dudley opens his mouth, thought Harry to himself with a grin, long before they even meet me. But then his grin faded. Dudley was going to scare the other kids, so they wouldn't want to play with him. Dudley enjoyed making Harry miserable, and this was the best way to do it. Suddenly, Harry wasn't looking forward to his first day of school as much anymore.

Up ahead, Aunt Petunia had finally calmed Dudley down and was leading him inside. Harry hurried to catch up. It would be just his luck to get lost on his first day. He knew Aunt Petunia wouldn't wait for him; she wasn't even looking back to see if he was following. When they reached the classroom, Aunt Petunia made a big show of kissing Dudley goodbye while he tried to push her away. She ignored Harry.

When she left, Dudley immediately made his way towards a group of boys playing with trains in the corner. He towered over them, and they looked up. "I'm playing with that one," he said pointing at the train one of the boys was holding. The boy handed the train to Dudley without a word. "You guys can still play trains with me, but you have to play with those ones. I get these." They nodded, half intimidated, half impressed. In future years these boys would become Dudley's gang, just as intimidated of and impressed by him as they were the day they first met.

Harry moved to the opposite corner, as far away from Dudley as he could get. A brown-haired boy was building a castle out of cardboard blocks. "Can I help?" Harry asked quietly.

The boy looked up. "Sure," he replied cheerfully. Harry sat down next to the boy and started to build a tower for the castle. He wanted to be friends with this boy. "My name's Harry," he said.

"Sam," the other boy replied.

Just then a shadow fell across the castle they were building. Dudley was behind them. "I'm warning you, Sam," said Dudley. "Stay away from him. You think he's nice? He's just pretending. He's really a nutcase, real crazy. It would be better for you if you stayed away from him. If you don't, you'll regret it." Then Dudley walked straight through the castle they were building, knocking it to the ground, and back to the boys who were playing with the trains.

Sam looked at Harry fearfully then scampered away without a word. He seemed scared that what Dudley said was true. Or maybe he was afraid of what Dudley would do to him if he didn't leave. Harry watched him go sadly. He knew they could've been good friends, and even with just one friend in the entire world, Harry would have been happy. But he knew that Dudley would do anything to make sure he was miserable. If he made another friend, Dudley would scare him away just like Sam. Harry watched Sam across the room, already playing with another boy, and Dudley in the opposite corner, already commanding the other boys to do whatever he wanted, and resigned himself to more unhappiness, at school as well as home now.

**Well, what do you think? Let me know by pressing that little button that says "Review." Poor Harry, right? He definitely will not have as carefree a childhood as Emily will. Anyways, next chapter there will be a bit of a time jump, and soon we'll be coming up to some magical incidents that happen to both twins at school. They should have an interesting time **


	8. Behind the Barrier

**So, in the HP series, the first time Harry sees the Hogwarts Express is when he's going to Hogwarts for his first year, but he's a rare case. Most other witches and wizards (if they have older siblings at least) see the Hogwarts Express before they themselves go to Hogwarts. Such as Ginny. Or Emily. So this chapter is about the first time Emily sees the train that takes students to Hogwarts. It's really just meant to further develop her longing for Hogwarts and for her to spend time with her family in the story. **

**Anyways, implied disclaimer (some goes to J.K. , rest to me). I hope you enjoy!**

Three Years Later (September 1, 1988)

Holding tight to Mary's hand, Emily followed her through King's Cross Station towards Platform 9 ¾. Ahead of them, Stacey and Jake pushed the trolleys holding their trunks full of robes, schoolbooks, and potions supplies through the crowd. Max was next to Jake, half-running to keep up, and talking excitedly to his older brother.

"I want to go to Hogwarts, too, Mum!" complained Emily. Mary looked down at her fondly but also slightly irritated because Emily had been moaning ever since Stacey and Jake received their letters a month ago.

But she forced her voice to remain calm as she replied, "You've been saying that all morning, Emily. And you've spent the whole summer saying you can't wait to Hogwarts, but you're going to have to be patient. You're not going to Hogwarts for another three years."

"I know," moaned Emily. "But that's too long. I can't wait three years!" Mary, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, smiled at Emily's melodrama.

"Well, you're going to have to. Just think you'll be able to spend the next three years with Sara and Charlotte. Once you go to Hogwarts, you won't be able to see them as often. Won't you miss your friends?" she asked curiously.

Emily nodded. "Of course, I'll miss them, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to go to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts I can make more friends, and I won't have to hide my magic because everyone will be a witch or wizard." Then she added in a whisper, "Plus, I'll get to meet _him_."

"Is that all you ever think about?" asked Mary laughing. "Meeting _him_?"

"Yup," replied Emily cheekily with a grin.

Just then Mary pulled Emily to a stop. In front of them was a solid brick pillar. On either side of the pillar hung signs for platforms nine and ten. "Alright," said Mary looking at her children. "Jake and Max, you two first. That brick pillar is the barrier. Walk straight through it, don't stop, and you'll be on the platform." Emily watched as Jake slowly pushed his trolley toward the barrier and hesitatingly pushed it into the bricks. Emily gasped. The trolley disappeared! With a wary look on his face, Jake pushed the rest of the trolley through the barrier and followed after it with an excited Max eager to see the Hogwarts Express right on his heels.

"You next, Stacey," said Mary looking at her. Stacey walked quickly toward the barrier, pushed her trolley into the bricks, and soon disappeared. Now Mary looked down at Emily who was still holding on to her hand and staring at the barrier in wide-eyed amazement. Mary squeezed her hand, and Emily looked up at her. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Emily smiled broadly, her eyes shining. "Yes," she answered. Together, they walked toward the barrier and slipped through it. The first thing Emily noticed was the noise. It was even louder on this side of the barrier than in the rest of the train station. Everywhere students were hollering greetings to each other after a summer apart. Families were saying goodbye to sons and daughters. Owls were hooting, and toads were croaking. Emily stared around, her eyes wide. She had never seen so many young witches and wizards in one place before. Even in Diagon Alley, there were always more adults than children and teenagers. Gripping Emily's hand tightly, Mary pulled her through the crowds after Stacey, Jake, and Max who were on the verge of disappearing as they made their way through the crowd toward the train. Emily gazed at the train longingly. It was bright red with dozens of windows on every car and gold lettering reading _The Hogwarts Express_. Steam was billowing from the front of the train and down its length. And it was bringing the students to Hogwarts! Emily didn't know how she was going to endure the next three years if she spent every minute wishing she could go to Hogwarts immediately. And it would be even worse next year when Max would go to Hogwarts too, and Emily would be the only one in the family who wasn't!

Emily reluctantly tore her gaze away from the magnificent train to help Mary, Max, and the twins load the two trunks into the compartment. After several minutes of pushing and pulling, the five of them managed to secure both trunks in the racks above the seats. Emily and Max hopped out of the train followed by Stacey and Jake. Mary stared at them with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I can't believe you're already going to Hogwarts. It seems like only yesterday you were starting primary school."

Stacey rolled her eyes and said, "Bye, Mum."

"Goodbye, dear. Have a good year, and promise you'll write home?"

"I promise."

"Good. I love you, Stacey."

"Love you, too, Mum." Mary hugged Stacey tightly and kissed her the top of her head.

"And you Jake," she said turning to her son. "Have a good year. I love you, and I expect you to write home sometimes."

"Course, Mum." Mary grabbed him, and pulling him close, kissed him on the cheek. "Mum!" he said, squirming away. "Don't!"

Mary smiled. "It's my motherly duty, Jake."

Emily laughed at the look on Jake's face at her words. "Bye," she said, hugging first Stacey then Jake.

"Bye, Em. Bye, Max," the twins replied.

From up front from, the horn sounded, and Mary jumped. "You better get on the train. You wouldn't want it to leave with you two still here on the platform." Stacey and Jake clambered aboard and turned to wave out the window as Mary called after them, "Have fun and don't forget to write!"

Then the train was moving, slowly at first but gradually picking up speed. Max and Emily ran along beside it. At first, they were faster than the train, but quickly the two of them fell behind as the train raced out of the station. They stopped when they neared the end of the platform and watched the train travel away into the distance until it rounded a bend and disappeared from sight. The two of them stood there quietly staring at where they last saw the train, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Emily still couldn't wait to attend Hogwarts, but she was positive that the experience would be worth the wait. She smiled imagining the day when she, too, would be on the train speeding towards Hogwarts.

Behind them, Mary approached and stood with them, staring at the place where the train disappeared. After a few minutes, she touched them on the shoulder and said, "Come on, it's time to go." Max immediately turned and began running toward the barrier. Emily, though, didn't move until Mary took her by the hand and guided her away from the tracks and toward the barrier. Emily followed her, not watching where she was going; instead, she was looking back, trying to see the path to Hogwarts for as long as possible.

**Hey, I always love comments. And I promise to respond to them if you have a question or criticism or just want to say hi. Just click the little "Review" button and type some words. **


	9. The Wonders of Flight

**All right, so here's the next chapter. I don't really have much to say except that I hope you enjoy the latest chapter and that I will be updating a lot more chapters this week because I have a four-day weekend coming up. So (hopefully) by next Sunday Emily and Harry will either be on the train on their way to Hogwarts or already at school. Let's hope!**

**As always, the HP series belongs to J.K., but I am proud to say that Emily is my own creation. **

**(I finally figured out how to work the line breaks! -you can laugh at me for that if you want. Shrug. I'm laughing at myself after all.)**

Later That Month

Autumn was in the air. Every tree was dressed in reds, oranges, golds, and browns. A crisp wind blew through the trees, dislodging the leaves from their branches. Emily, Charlotte, and Sara were playing together in the playground after school. The three of them were laughing and talking happily as they swung higher and higher on the swings.

"Watch this!" shouted Charlotte to the other two. She pumped her legs hard, swinging higher and higher. Once she was as high as her swing could go, she jumped off and soared to the ground. Landing, she fell to her knees but promptly jumped up and brushed herself off saying, "It's like flying!"

"My turn!" announced Sara. She, too, swung higher and higher, and once she was as high as she could go, she released the swing. She soared to the ground and fell to her hands and knees upon impact. Getting up, Sara called to Emily, "You're next, Emily!"

Both Charlotte and Sara backed up as Emily pumped her legs harder and harder. She was higher than she had ever swung before; she was much higher than Charlotte and Sara had been. Emily scrunched her eyes in concentration and pumped her legs even harder, gaining more speed for her jump. Finally, she released the swing and jumped. Emily soared higher than either of her two friends. I'm flying, she thought excitedly.

Closing her eyes, she raised her arms above her head and tilted her face toward the late afternoon sun. Slowly, she floated to the ground and landed lightly. She opened her eyes and smiled at her friends who were staring at her with wide eyes.

"You came down so slowly. And you didn't even fall when you hit the ground."

"Well," said Emily shrugging and tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "There must have been a wind. It probably helped me go higher and come down softly." She laughed nervously, watching her friends for their reactions and wishing they would stop staring at her. She had performed accidental magic, and that was something she was not supposed to do in front of her friends. They would start asking questions and come up with answers. It didn't matter if their answers were true or not because either way they would think she was strange and wouldn't want to be friends with her anymore.

Unnoticed, a slight breeze began swirling around Emily, lifting her hair from her shoulders. Charlotte and Sara were still staring disbelievingly at her. "I didn't feel a wind," said Charlotte shaking her head.

"Me neither," said Sara glancing between Charlotte and Emily.

"Well," said Emily. "I'm lighter than you aren't I?"

"Ye-" began Sara, but she broke off.

The wind around Emily was gaining speed and strength. It was whipping her hair around her face and picked up the leaves from the ground at her feet. The leaves spun around Emily whose face was growing more and more panicked. She couldn't control it! She couldn't make it stop let alone try to make it seem more natural! Sara and Charlotte were going to ask even more questions now, and she was never going to be able to convince them that they were imagining things.

From the street, a car door slammed shut, and Charlotte's mother crossed the street toward the girls. "Charlotte, Sara, Emily, it's getting late. You should all be home now," she called. "Come on, I'll drop you off."

Distracted, Emily glanced toward the street with Charlotte and Sara, and the wind instantly died down, the leaves settling slowly to the ground. Without looking at her friends, Emily hurried toward the street. "Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Reisen," she said to Charlotte's mother.

"Oh, it's no problem, Emily," she replied warmly. The backseat was completely silent during the car ride. Emily was sure Charlotte and Sara were thinking about what she had done and wondering what exactly had happened. She hoped they would eventually forget it or come up with one of the "rational" explanations that Muggles were so fond of. At home, Mrs. Reisen got out of the car and walked to the door with her. Mary opened the door, and Emily slipped inside waving goodbye to Sara and Charlotte in the car.

As she headed up the stairs she heard snippets of what Mrs. Reisen was saying the Mary. "It was the strangest thing. . . wasn't happening anywhere else. . . only around your daughter. " And Mary replying, "Are you sure that's what you saw. . . far away. . . sounds impossible." With a sinking feeling, Emily realized what they must be talking about. Mrs. Reisen had seen what she had accidentally done in the park.

Emily entered her room and sat on the bed waiting. She didn't have to wait long. As soon as Mary shut the door behind Mrs. Reisen, she called, "Emily! Come here." Emily got up and slowly walked downstairs. Mary was waiting for her in the kitchen. Emily sat down at the table and looked at Mary. "Do you know what Mrs. Reisen just told me?" Mary asked. Emily didn't reply. "Apparently," Mary continued without pausing, "when she went to pick you girls up from the park, she saw you standing in a miniature cyclone. There was no wind anywhere else in the park she said, just around you. And she could see the leaves flying around you from across the street." 7

Emily looked down at her lap avoiding Mary's eyes. "Well, do you have anything to say?"

Emily lifted her head and looked Mary in the eye. "I didn't mean to. It was an accident," she burst out defiantly.

Mary stared at her for a minute then sighed. "Well, thankfully, I was able to convince her that her eyes must have been playing tricks on her, especially since she was watching from across the street. But this might be a good time to bring up something your teacher has said about you." She paused, waiting for Emily to say something.

"What did she say?" asked Emily warily though she thought she could guess.

"She mentioned that during class you seem to disappear. She sees you sitting in your desk, glances away for a second, and when she looks back at your desk, you're gone. Then a minute later, you're back in your seat as if you'd never moved. As I'm sure you can imagine she was very confused because she never saw you coming or going from your seat."

Raising her eyebrows, Mary looked at Emily. "I don't want her call on me," cried Emily defensively. "I know the answers, but I don't want to talk in front of the class." But as soon as the words left her mouth, Emily knew she had said the wrong thing.

"You mean you are purposely using your magic while in a classroom of Muggles?" Mary asked quietly.

Emily slumped in her seat. "I guess."

"Emily!" cried Mary. "You need to be careful! We live in a town full of Muggles. You can't give them any cause to suspect that you, that we, are any different from them. Do you understand this?"

"Yes," said Emily quietly.

"Will you promise me that you'll be careful and not use your magic while around Muggles and especially not while you're at school?"

"I promise," said Emily nodding, her head bobbing up and down. She knew that she had to be careful with her magic and that not even her friends could know she was a witch. But she was happy that Mary had only scolded her instead of punishing her. Thank goodness, Mary didn't know about the flying; otherwise, she would really have been in trouble.

Harry heard feet pounding on the pavement behind him but didn't turn around to see how close Dudley and his gang were. He turned a corner and kept running as fast as he could. Why couldn't they find something better to do at recess, he wondered. Something other than chasing him?

* * *

><p>Harry was on the opposite side of the school building from the playground. To his left was the gray brick of the school. To his right was a chain-link fence, separating the school from the street with cars racing back and forth. Up ahead was a collection of garbage bins. Dudley wasn't smart enough to check behind there, Harry thought excitedly. He could hide behind the garbage bins and watch Dudley and the other boys run past. He would be safe until the bell rang. He just had to reach the garbage bins before Dudley and the others turned the corner.<p>

Harry put on an extra burst of speed. He was almost there. One more second. He jumped and suddenly found himself soaring through the air. Not behind the garbage bins, but above them.

Higher and higher he went before landing face first on the roof of the school. Harry lay there aching all over. Below him he heard the voices of his cousin and the other boys.

"Where did he go?"

"He can't have gotten away!"

"He just disappeared!"

Harry smiled to himself in spite of the pain. He was safe after all. This was the one place Dudley would never think to look, and even if he did see Harry up here, what could he do about it? From below, the voices of Dudley and his gang grew more indistinct as they moved away, giving up the search and going in search of another victim.

Harry rolled onto his back and stared up at the sun. It really wasn't too bad up here, he thought. Closing his eyes, Harry allowed himself to enjoy the rare moment of peace, not worrying about how on earth he was going to get back down.

_Crash!_ Harry startled awake at the sound of the lid being slammed back on the garbage bin. Standing up, he walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. The janitor was facing the street away from Harry, taking a smoke after bringing out the trash. The sun shone down on Harry's back, casting his shadow down on the ground in front of the janitor. The man glanced down at the pavement and jumped. He turned around and stared up at Harry on the roof. Harry didn't have anywhere to hide, so he just stood there and stared back.

"What the hell!" cried the janitor in surprise. "What are you doing up there, kid?" Harry didn't respond, and the janitor, mumbling to himself, went back inside.

Moments later he was back with a ladder which he proceeded to use to climb up to the roof and carry Harry back down. Leaving, the ladder where it was, the janitor dragged Harry back inside the school and down the hallway. Harry's heart sank as he realized he was in big trouble. He was being taken to the headmaster's office, and the headmaster would call Aunt Petunia. His aunt and uncle would be furious with him. They hated anything that was the least bit out of the ordinary, especially when it was related to him.

A half later, Harry sat slumped in a chair outside the headmaster's office, waiting for Aunt Petunia and the headmaster to finish talking. He would give anything to have stayed home sick that day. Then none of this would have happened. As it was, he was going to be in so much trouble both on the ride home with Aunt Petunia and Dudley and at home when Uncle Vernon learned what had happened.

The door opened making Harry look up. Aunt Petunia stood glaring at him. "Come," she ordered. She turned around and marched down the hallway as Harry ran to keep up. In the car she stared straight ahead, her lips pursed making her resemble a fish. Harry wanted to laugh but knew things would be worse for him if he did. So he sat in silence, cowering in the back seat as beside him Dudley grinned and mouthed: _You are in so much trouble._

**Well? Reviews? What if I said to all of you reading this that the more reviews I get, the more chapters will be updated this week during my school-free days?**


	10. Breaking the News

**Hey, all. I am so, so, so sorry that I haven't updated for a couple weeks. I have my excuses though: over my fall break teachers piled on the homework and projects; I didn't learn about half the projects I had to do until right before break. And then, I my computer wasn't working when I even had time to write. Then of course, last week I had too much homework and didn't have a spare minute. Again, I am sorry. I'm taking a break on Halloween to give you updates, though. Does that mean I'm forgiven?**

**Anyways, I decided we are now skipping ahead to the summer before Emily and Harry's first year. This is basically a transition chapter, but in the next few chapters Emily will get her letter and go to Diagon Alley. Then it's time for the train and beyond!**

**Again, as always, nothing is mine except for the original characters and ideas. **

May, 1991 (Three Years Later)

Emily, Sara, and Charlotte were sitting outside school under a large oak tree. The weather had been so nice lately that their teacher had taken to bringing the students outside for lunch. Today, the sun was shining brightly, warming their faces, and a slight breeze was blowing. Charlotte and Sara were laughing at what the boys in their class were doing on the other side of the yard, but Emily was silently staring off into space, frowning and narrowing her eyebrows. She had promised herself that today she would tell her friends she wouldn't be coming back to school next year with them, but she still had no idea how to go about breaking the news to them. In no way, was she looking forward to the conversation. But the decision was presently taken out of her hands as Charlotte turned toward her and noticed the preoccupied look on her face.

"What's wrong, Emily?" she asked. "You've been like this all day, not saying a word and staring off into space with that look on your face." Sara, too, turned toward Emily, waiting for an answer.

Emily inwardly sighed then took the plunge. "I have something to tell you two," she began. The others watched her without saying a word, waiting for her to go on. Emily took a deep breath than said, "I'm not coming back next year. I'm switching schools."

"What?" "Why?" cried Charlotte and Sara. "You can't, Emily!" "Where are you going?" "What could be better than staying in school with us, your friends?"

"It's called Saint Mary's Academy," said Emily choosing to answer this question and ignore the more difficult ones, and crossing her fingers behind her back as she lied to her friends. "It's the same school that Stacey, Jake, and Max are at right now. It's a tradition in our family to go there when we turn eleven, and we stay there until after we're seventeen."

"Is there anyway you could change your parents' minds and convince them that you would rather stay here in Cranbrook?"

Emily shook her head. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't change the fact that I'm going to Saint Mary's. And the thing is, I'm really excited to go. It's supposed to be a great school, and my entire family has gone there." That, thought Emily, was truer than her friends would ever realize. Not only did her entire adopted family attend Hogwarts, but so did her birth family.

"Will you miss us?" asked Sara.

"Of course, I'll miss you two! That's the one downside to switching schools. I'm so sad to have to leave you, but we'll see each other every summer," she added trying to cheer them, and herself, up.

Charlotte sighed. "Well, I suppose if you have to leave, you have to. We'll all survive somehow. But before you go, we have to spend every single day together, to make the most of our time together. And you have to promise to write every week."

Emily nodded. "Of course, I'll write, and I solemnly swear to spend every day with the two of you up until I have to leave for school. Except, of course, for the days when I have to go shopping with my mum for school supplies."

Charlotte pursed her lips, "Well, I suppose we'll have to give you those days free." Sara laughed and then changed the subject. Starting then, none of them mentioned Emily switching schools until the week before she left. They never spoke of it and tried to act like nothing was any different between them, but Emily's coming departure hung heavily in the air between the three girls.

June 23, 1991

Once summer vacation started, the first thing Emily asked Mary every morning was if the owl had arrived with her letter yet, and every morning Mary would say it hadn't, but it was bound to come soon. Emily would have asked about the owls a dozen times a day except that every day after breakfast, Charlotte and Sara arrived on the doorstep to pick up Emily for another day of summertime fun. They went to the pool, to the park, to the theatre. Sometimes they stayed at one of their houses to play. But they were so busy that Emily even managed to not think about her Hogwarts letter for hours on end.

That morning when Emily woke with the sun shining on her face, she just lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her dream last night was different than usual. Could she have shared another dream with Harry, she wondered. It had been so long since the first and only dream she had shared with him, the dream she had almost six years ago about the night their parents died, that she given up hope of ever sharing a dream with him again.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to remember what the dream was about. There was a loud roaring. And she remembered soaring over the ocean. Then it clicked.

It was a flying motorcycle! she thought excitedly, opening her eyes. There was a large man with wild black hair and beard holding a baby boy with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. The baby was obviously Harry, so the dream must have been his. But what did it mean, and why was she having it now she wondered, calming down. Did Harry ever ride a flying motorcycle before going to live their aunt and uncle? Was that how he had gotten there even? She supposed it was possible, but that left her other question. Why now? Was it because their magic was growing stronger now that they were about to go to Hogwarts. If so, why did she have that first dream when she was five? Could she have been sharing dreams with Harry more often than she thought?

She closed her eyes again as she thought back over the years. Both the dream of the night their parents died and the dream of the flying motorcycle felt different than the rest of her dreams, like they were not quite a part of her, very similar yet different. As she lay there in bed, Emily remembered images and snatches of dreams that had a similar feel. She couldn't remember what the dream was of, but she could definitely remember the feeling of the dreams she had that weren't her own.

She smiled to herself and climbed out of bed to start another summer day, but this time with thoughts that were even more pressing than the arrival of the Hogwarts owl. If I can share his dreams while we sleep, could I one day share his thoughts while we're awake? And what about the other way around? Does he ever dream of me?

With all the questions piling upon her, Emily knew it was becoming more and more important to go to Hogwarts, both to meet her twin brother and to solve these mysteries.

**So to make up for not being to update for awhile I'm going to spend the rest of the night writing, and maybe I'll be able to update again soon. At the very least I can promise to again keep to the schedule of updating once a week starting tonight. Also, I'm going to have one-shots that are companion stories to this one, and pretty soon I should have one up. Once they're created, you can access them from my profile page. I hope you take the time to read them (once they're up) and send me comments. **

**As always, REVIEW!**


	11. An Owl to be Expected

**Wow. All I'm going to say is that it's been a really long time since I've last updated. All I can offer is my sincerest apologies and hope that you forgive me and that you haven't given up on this story (well obviously you haven't since you're reading this right now). Again, I'm sorry. But at least I continued, right? I mean I could have left the story to linger after ten chapters, after all. . . **

**Disclaimer: The _Harry Potter _series and characters are all JKR's, but certain characters (namely Emily, Stacey, Jake, and Max) and all the ideas (minus the letter which was taken from the book) are mine. Enjoy!**

July 23rd, 1991

The shine streamed brightly through her window, waking Emily up from the bliss of sleep. She moaned and pulled her sheets over her head, blocking out the sun. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and not wake up for another hour at least. From downstairs, came the sound of spoons clattering in bowls as her siblings ate breakfast. Breakfast! Emily bolted upright. It was morning; her siblings were already eating breakfast. Maybe today, after waiting so long, her letter would finally come.

Emily scrambled out of bed and raced downstairs, not even bothering to get dressed. She burst into the kitchen and skidded to a stop before the table. Stacey, Jake, and Max looked up at her. Stacey raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Max, however, cheerfully said, "Morning, Carrot. Where's the fire?" He then burst out laughing and choked out, "Right there; you're the fire." Stacey bit her lip to keep from laughing, but Jake laughed, not so much at Max's joke but more at the expression on Emily's face as she glared at Max.

"Good morning, Emily," greeted Mary, turning from the stove where she was frying bacon. "How are you?"

"Great," Emily replied. Then, without pause for breath: "Has it arrived yet?"

"Sorry, dear. Not yet. They'll be here soon, though," said Mary, reassuringly.

Emily slumped in her chair next to Jake, all her energy gone for the moment. Max leaned across the table and began, "You know, Emily—" But he was interrupted by a gasp from Stacey.

"Look," she cried, pointing out the window. Everyone turned to look. Soaring towards the house, was a chestnut barn owl grasping envelopes in its talons. Jake, being the closest, stood up to open the window, and the owl flapped into the kitchen spraying feathers everywhere. Emily watched with bated breath as first the owl dropped a letter in front of Stacey, then Jake, then Max, and finally her.

Emily stared at the envelope before her. The emerald green writing on the front read:

_To Ms. Emily L. Freeman_

_72 Elm Drive_

_Cranbrook_

_Kent_

"Well, go on," said Jake. "Open it already. You've been waiting for this moment all summer."

Emily turned the envelope over and with trembling fingers broke the seal. Inside the envelope were two pieces of parchment. The first was the letter for which she had been waiting for years for six years.

Dear Ms. Freeman,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

Emily stared at the letter, reading it over and over to herself. Now that the moment had finally come, it all seemed a bit surreal. "Emily?" Mary's voice interrupted her contemplation. "Could I have the letter to send back the reply? The owl is waiting." Emily looked up at Mary, who was now standing in front of her, with a start. Sure enough, the owl was sitting on the table fixing its beady gaze on Emily.

"Sorry," Emily murmured to it and handed the letter to Mary.

"Are you excited?" asked Stacey. "You've been waiting forever to go to Hogwarts—"

"And you haven't shut up about it all summer," added Max.

Emily grinned at her siblings. "Of course, I'm excited!" she cried. "Why wouldn't I be? I finally get to go to Hogwarts and learn how to do all sorts of magic and meet other witches and wizards my own age. Finally, I won't be left at home while you three get to have all the fun. Sorry, Mum," she added, glancing at Mary.

"It's all right, dear," she replied as she scratched out a reply to Emily's letter. "There," she said setting the quill down. She tied the letter to the owl's leg then tried to shoo it away. "Back to Hogwarts you go," she said nudging it toward the window. The owl hopped away from Mary's hand but then darted forward and snatched a bit of toast of Max's plate before taking off.

"Hey," cried Max looking at the owl disappearing through the window. Emily, Stacey, and Jake were all laughing at him; even Mary chuckled at the look on her son's face.

Emily turned to Mary. "When can we go to Diagon Alley?" she asked.

"You are not to be distracted I see," commented Mary. "All summer, it was the letter, and now that you have your letter, all you'll focus on is Diagon Alley."

"Mum!" she cried her hazel eyes wide and deploring.

Mary laughed at the expression on Emily's face. "How about we go on your birthday," she asked. "That seems like a nice way to celebrate the occasion. But are you going to be able to wait that long Emily, or will you die in anticipation first?"

"Oh, she'll die of anticipation first, of course," said Jake looking over at her, his eyes crinkling ins silent laughter.

"Hey," cried Emily turning toward him.

"What?" he shrugged. "It's true. You've barely managed to wait for the letter."

"He has a point, Emily," continued Mary. "And after Diagon Alley, how are you going to be able to wait until September first to actually go to Hogwarts?"

Emily heaved a dramatic sigh. "I don't know. But I'd love to go on my birthday, and after that, I'll have all my school supplies to entertain me."

Mary laughed. "And with your enthusiasm, you'll have learned every spell before you even get to Hogwarts."

"That's the plan," said Emily a bit cheekily before beginning to eat her breakfast. She couldn't keep from smiling that day. Every time she thought of the letter, she broke into a grin. She couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts. She wanted to learn magic like her siblings, she wanted to meet other witches and wizards, and she wanted to meet her brother. Above all, she wanted to meet her brother. What was he like? She wondered. And how would he react to learning he had a twin sister?

**Well, what do you think? Are you glad I continued? Are you ready for Hogwarts?**

**If so, please review. (I'll be much more likely to update more often if you do versus leaving the story to sit in its current state for months). Constructive criticism is much appreciated, but I'll take anything you have to say. **

**And out of curiosity, for those of you who recently favorite this story, how exactly did you come upon it since it hasn't been updated for months (literally)?**


	12. Diagon Alley

**I have to say that while I loved the reviews, they made me a little sad because you were so excited that I finally updated after so long. I wish I had updated sooner! I will promise, though, that I will never give up on Emily and her story. No matter how many days, weeks, months pass between updates, the story will continue. **

**In answer to a couple questions: No, her siblings do not know that she was adopted, nor do they know that she is Harry Potter's twin sister. And no, her letter wouldn't have read _Emily Potter _because Dumbledore, himself, cast the General Forgetting Charm after the Potter were murdered, and poor Emily and Harry became orphans. The spell that Dumbledore cast encompassed anything and everything. As far as the world was aware, Emily Potter never existed. (As far as everyone except Mary, Dumbledore, and Emily were aware that is). **

**Disclaimer: Not mine (except for a few key characters, plot events, and other ideas). Harry, basic plot line, and other characters are all from the original series by JKR. **

July 31st, 1991

Emily looked around her with wide eyes. They had just entered Diagon Alley through the brick wall, and Emily couldn't help grinning. Even though she had been to Diagon Alley many times before, everything seemed different now that she was going to Hogwarts. "All right," began Mary before any of her children could run off. "Everyone, you can go where you will. Just make sure you get all your supplies. We'll meet in Flourish and Blotts at eleven. Agreed?"

"Sounds good, Mum," replied Jake already heading off with Max close on his heels. Off to look at brooms, probably.

"See you later, Mum, Emily," said Stacey, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, as she, too, headed off.

"Bye!" called Emily cheerfully. She turned to Mary. "Can we get my wand first?" she asked eagerly.

Mary smiled down at her. "Of course. First stop, Ollivander's."

"Yeah!" cried Emily running off down the street, her red pigtails bouncing up and down. She couldn't wait to have a wand of her very own. She had been planning what sort of pranks she'd play on Max, especially once they were both at Hogwarts, as payback for the years of pranks he'd pulled on her when she couldn't retaliate.

"Emily, slow down!" laughed Mary. "The shop will still be there even if we walk." Reluctantly, Emily stopped and waited for Mary, bouncing up and down in her impatience. When Mary reached her, she took Emily's hand and continued walking. Emily sighed. They were going so slow ! And she suspected that Mary was holding her hand, so she couldn't run off again. Finally, though, they arrived, and Mary was right: the shop was still there. Inside, it was dark, and Emily had to squint to see anything. She shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from cold or something else. There was something about the store that made it slightly foreboding. She could feel the power tingling in the air, rippling toward her from the collection of wands in boxes lining the shelves, stacked in piles on the desk, and lying in the window display.

A sudden creak made her look up. A man had just entered the shop from the back. He stared at her, and Emily felt the urge to take a step backward. His gazed at her unblinkingly as if he was trying to discover all her secrets by simply looking at her. Emily broke eye contact and glanced at the wall covered in wands. "Good morning, Mr. Ollivander," said Mary smiling as if there was nothing strange about the shop or shopkeeper.

Mr. Ollivander turned his gaze to her and smiled. "Good morning, Ms. MacDonald."

"Mrs. Freeman," she corrected him patiently.

"Of course. I remember now. Is this another one of your's?"

"Yes," said Mary stepping back so that Emily was in front of her. "This is Emily."

"And you've come for your first wand, I presume."

"Yes," said Emily, but he continued on without waiting for her answer.

"We'll find one that you like," he said turning toward the shelves. "Or rather, one that chooses you. It is, after all, the wand that chooses the wizard. Or, in this case, the witch."

"Really?" asked Emily interested. How could a wand choose its carrier? It was only a piece of wood, for heavens' sake! Albeit, a magical one, she mused.

But Ollivander wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, he was rummaging through the boxes behind on the wall behind the desk. "Hmm, this one might work," he muttered. He turned and briskly walked over. "Here," he said, handing her a wand. "Ebony, nine-and-a-quarter inches, dragon heartstring. Give it a wave."

Emily took the wand from his outstretched hand. She held her breath and gave it a wave. Nothing happened. She exhaled, releasing the pent-up air in disappointment. Ollivander was looking at the wand, thoughtfully. "No, apparently not. Perhaps this one," he added replacing the wand in her hand with another. "Willow, eight-and-three-quarter inches. A bit short but very pliable. And, again, dragon heartstring for the core."

Again, Emily waved the wand, and again nothing happened. Ollivander did not seem discouraged, however; with every wand that she tried, the happier he seemed to become. "Not just any wand will do, it seems," he muttered to himself as he took yet another wand from her hand. Then his eyes lit up, and he turned toward the desk and began rummaging through the boxes scattered on top of it. "Here we go," he announced turning toward her with another wand in his hand. Emily stared at it, entranced. Again, she felt the power tingling throughout the shop as Ollivander brought the wand closer to her. There was something different about this wand, thought Emily as she took it from Ollivander. The moment her fingers touched the wand, Emily felt the tingling spread to her body, and a gentle breeze began to blow around her as the wand's magic met her own.

Ollivander nodded to himself, satisfied. Emily raised the wand and gave it a little flick. Red sparks flew from the tip. Emily smiled and stared in wonder at the innocent-looking piece of wood in her hand. Behind her, Mary asked,"What type of wand is it?" Emily started; she had forgotten that Mary was in the shop with her. She then turned to Ollivander, curious to hear the answer.

"Ten-and-a-half inches. Ash. With unicorn hair for the core. Incidentally, ash is, by far, the most powerful wood for wands. That", he said pointing at the wand in her hands, "will never fail you. It will withstand all curses cast at it and will never break during a battle."

"Fortunately," interrupted Mary with a tight smile, "Emily will never be in any battles, so that will never be necessary."

"Of course," replied Ollivander giving a small bow. But Mary wasn't paying attention; she was digging through her purse looking for her coin bag.

"Thank you," said Emily turning back as they were leaving the shop. He just smiled and gave another small bow. Emily shivered. While she was excited to have gotten her wand, she was glad to be leaving. The shop, not to mention Ollivander himself, was rather creepy.

"Well," began Mary as they stepped into the sunshine, "where off to next?" Emily noticed she seemed much more relaxed now that they had left the shop. It seemed the wand maker had that effect on everyone.

"Do you want to get your robes next, or should we buy potions supplies first?" continued Mary, looking down at Emily's list.

"Robes," replied Emily. "Then we can pick up everything else on our way to meet the others."

As they headed down the street, Emily kept glancing at the wand in her hand and twirling it in her fingers. It was amazing that a simple stick of wood could perform magic. She couldn't wait to try out a few spells with it. Emily began to skip along beside Mary as her excitement grew. Wands, school supplies, Hogwarts, Harry. She couldn't wait.

The morning passed by quickly as Emily and Mary went from shop to shop getting her school supplies. They went to Madam Malkin's for robes, and after headed over to Scribbulus Everchanging Inks for quills and parchment. Emily couldn't keep her eyes off the window display. They were quills of all sizes and colors from deep golden quills the size of her arm to deep gray ones that were only a few inches long. And the inks! Along with blacks, there were reds, blues, greens, purples, silvers, golds, and (her favorite) color-changing inks.

Next they visited the apothecary for potions ingredients. Emily wrinkled her nose at some of the things in the shop (frog spawn, newt eyes, spider legs, and eel tongues). She was entranced, though, with the different metallic and organic powders, again of all colors and consistencies, and the crystal scales and other instruments.

Finally, it came time to meet up with Stacey, Jake, and Max in Flourish and Blotts. Once again, Emily was skipping along beside Mary as they made their way down the street. She kept glancing at all the shops as if seeing them for the first time, and she couldn't help staring at the other young witches and wizards, wondering which ones would be first-years with her. From the shop beside her, Emily saw a pale, blond boy step out into the alley. He saw her and looked her up and down, a sneer on his face. Emily rolled her eyes and turned away only to be nearly run over by a black boy with dreadlocks who was racing by. Emily shook her head, smiling to herself. She wondered, idly, if either of those two boys were in her year. She hoped the blond one wasn't; he didn't seem too nice.

Stacey was already inside Flourish and Blotts when Mary and Emily arrived. Jake and Max showed up not long after. After picking out her schoolbooks, Emily wandered through the shelves as Mary argued with Max in a corner. Evidently, Max was trying to slip _The Guide to Curses of All Kinds: Make Your Friends and Enemies Beware!_ into the pile with his schoolbooks. Emily trailed her fingers along the spines of the books as she wandered down an aisle. She could feel the magic in here, as well. It wasn't as strong as in Ollivander's, but it was there, flowing gently. She glanced out the window to her right; passersby were hurrying to and fro. Again, she wondered which ones would, in just a month's time, be boarding the _Hogwarts Express_ for the first time with her.

"Emily," called Mary from by the door. "Are you ready to go?"

Emily looked up. "Yeah," she replied and hurried to join the others.

As they left the bookstore, Stacey stopped and, staring at pair to their right, asked, "Is that who I think it is?"

Emily followed Stacey's gaze and saw a man and boy coming out of Eeylops Owl Emporium_. _The man was huge, easily eight feet tall, with a mane of wild black hair and a beard to match. The boy was short and scrawny. He had black hair that flew in every direction and wore glasses. In his arms, he was carrying a cage with a beautiful white owl in it. He was looking at the giant with a wide smile and was saying something to him.

"I think that is," said Jake slowly looking over at where Stacey indicated. Emily had a feeling she knew who it was, too, and she couldn't stop staring at the eleven-year-old boy across the alley, who had no idea that he was the subject of all their curious gazes.

"Who?" asked Max, glancing between them and the black-haired boy, confusion evident on his face.

"Harry Potter, of course," answered Stacey.

Involuntarily, Emily glanced up at Mary. She had half a mind to go over to Harry, and she was about to break away and run over there. Mary, however, seemed to guess what was going through Emily's mind, for she gripped Emily's arm, forcibly restraining her and said in a low voice, "This really wouldn't be the best time, Emily. You'd scare the poor boy, and what would these three think if they saw you run over to the Boy-Who-Lived and begin talking to him?" she added. Mary gave Emily a significant look, and Emily sighed, defeated.

Mary kept a hold on Emily as they walked away back towards the Leaky Cauldron. For the first time that day, Emily was walking slowly, dragging her feet, and Mary had to pull her along to keep up with the others. Emily watched Harry over her shoulder as she walked away. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she had to admit that Mary was right. What would her siblings think if she suddenly went up to the Boy-Who-Lived and told him that they were twins? For that matter, how would Harry, himself, take it? She winced; she would really have to come up with a plan for telling him. . .

"That's Harry Potter," asked Max as soon as he thought they were well out-of-earshot of the boy in question.

"Yes, Max," answered Mary. "That's Harry Potter. He's starting at Hogwarts this year."

"What do you think of that?" asked Max, nudging Emily in the arm. "You'll be going to school with the Boy-Who-Lived, and with any luck you'll be in the same House and in all the same classes."

Emily looked up at him, beaming. "With any luck we will be," she replied.

**Reviews? Please? I'm on a roll. After months of not updating, I've posted two chapters in three days. You know you want me to keep it up, especially because Hogwarts looms on the horizon **


	13. Onward Bound

**Another day, another update. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: some characters/events/ideas belong to JKR while some characters/events/ideas belong to me **

September 1, 1991

Emily hurried to keep up as she followed her brothers, Stacey, and Mary into King's Cross Station. The sun beat down relentlessly above them, and Emily let out a sigh of relief when they stepped into the cool marble interior of the train station. Mary was pushing her trolley, and Emily skipped along beside her, making her hair bounce up and down with every step. Her hazel eyes sparkled with excitement. She had woken up hours before they left; she checked and rechecked that all her belongings were in her trunk, got dressed, then proceeded to pace around the room until Stacey threw a pillow at her and told her to go downstairs. Not long after, they left for King's Cross because Emily was driving everyone crazy with her pacing, bouncing around, and constant question of "When are we leaving?"

Ahead of her, Jake and Max came to a stop in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "You, first, Jake," said Mary when she, too, stopped. With a nod, Jake pushed his trolley at the barrier and then disappeared through. Max followed before Jake had made it through and almost ran into Jake in his carelessness. Stacey rolled her eyes at Max before setting off after them and vanishing into thin air. Mary watched her children go; once Stacey had disappeared, she turned to Emily. "Are you excited, Emily?"

Emily looked up at her, grinning, then started laughing. "Of course, I am! I've been waiting for this for years."

Mary also laughed. "That you have," she agreed. "Ready to go then?"

Emily nodded, and together they pushed her trolley through the barrier and onto platform 9 ¾. When they emerged onto platform 9 ¾, Mary released her grip on the trolley and followed Emily as she pushed it through the crowds after Jake, Max, and Stacey. Emily stopped next to Stacey, and together they watched as Jake and Max, instead of loading trunks onto the train, were arguing. Apparently, Max had run into Jake with his trolley.

"Now, boys," called Mary, coming to stand next to the girls. "Stop fighting and put your trunks on the train. Then you can help your sisters with theirs."

The two boys quickly immersed themselves in their task. "Sorry, Mum," said Jake while Max looked anywhere but at his mother. While the boys were loading the trunks, Mary turned to Stacey and Emily and began her farewell speech. "You'll promise to write every week," she asked. They nodded. Stacey seemed to only be half-paying attention while Emily stared earnestly up at Mary. "And you'll look after your sister," continued Mary looking pointedly at Stacey and Jake, who had appeared behind her.

"Of course, Mum," answered Stacey.

"In all honesty," added Jake, "she won't need us. She'll be too busy making friends that she won't have time for us." Emily grinned; she knew Jake was right, and he knew it, too.

"Be that as it may," continued Mary, ignoring them. "I want you three to look after Emily. Help her settle in and spend some time with her. After all, she's only spent vacations with you for the past few years." Mary glanced down distractedly at her watch and sighed. "I'm going to miss you all," she said. "It's different now that you're all going off to Hogwarts."

"We'll miss you, too, Mum," said Stacey.

"And don't worry; we'll look after Emily," continued Jake.

"And make sure she doesn't set the castle on fire," finished Max grinning but then quailed from the glare he received. He raised his arms as if to ward off a blow and backed up. "I'm just joking!"

"Bye, Mum," said Emily quietly and leaned closer to give her a hug.

Mary squeezed her tightly and whispered, so only she could hear: "Have fun, Emily. Good luck, and remember: discretion."

Emily looked up and smiled at her. "I'll remember."

The others said goodbye to her as well then Mary stepped back and, wiping tears from her eyes, watched them climb onto the train. She waved when they looked back and watched them take their trunks and head off to look for a compartment.

Emily waved goodbye to Mary from the train then turned to look at her siblings. Without a word, Max turned and headed off with his trunk to look for some of his friends. Stacey watched him go and muttered something under her breath. Looking at Jake who was picking up his trunk, she asked, "Are you leaving, too, or are you going to help me with Emily?"

"I was planning on staying," said Jake quietly.

Emily looked back and forth between the twins. "You know, I can find a compartment on my own. It's not that difficult after all."

"We know," said Jake smiling at her, "but Mum wants us to take care of you, so we'll stay with you until you find a compartment, or you can always come and sit with us."

"No thanks," said Emily shaking her head. "I don't really want to spend the train ride with a bunch of fourth-years I don't know. It'd be better if I found some other first-years."

"Are we going to just stand here, or are we going to find you a compartment?" interrupted Stacey from behind Emily.

"We're going," replied Jake. He stepped aside and gestured for Emily to go ahead of him. "After you."

Emily moved by him and began walking down the train glancing into the compartments as she went by. She didn't know if she was looking for Harry or just for another first-year to sit with. Either way, she continued on past all the compartments after glancing in them. Jake didn't seem to mind how particular she was being, but Stacey was clearly getting annoyed.

"How about this compartment?" asked Stacey stopping. Gesturing at the window, she said, "She looks like she'd be a good friend. I think you'll find you have a lot in common with her."

Emily glanced into the compartment Stacey was pointing at. Inside, a girl with red pigtail braids sat in the corner by the window reading a book. Emily looked back at Stacey and raised her eyebrows. "I'm not sitting with her just because she has red hair. Do you realize how much we'd be made fun of? Max is already bad enough. I don't need any comments about the Carrot Twins from him." Emily turned around and started down the corridor again.

Stacey sighed in frustration and glared daggers at Emily from behind her back. Jake simply laughed at her and followed after Emily. "This school seems to have a lot of redheads this year," he commented.

Emily continued to walk past all the compartments after barely a glance inside them. Most held older students, but every time they passed a compartment that held younger-looking students, Stacey heaved a great sigh, which was beginning to get on Emily's nerves. Stacey didn't have to stay, Emily thought to herself. No one was making her, and Emily certainly didn't need chaperones just to find a compartment.

After about the third sigh, Stacey again stopped in front of a compartment. "How 'bout this one?" she asked. "They aren't redheads," she added when Emily glanced back at her. Emily looked into the compartment and then at Stacey, incredulous.

"Are you serious? That girl looks like a troll, and the other one looks like a pug. Besides, I don't think they want me to sit with them." She was right. The two girls inside the compartment looked up from their conversation and right at Emily. They glared at her then laughed and began whispering to each other, sneaking glances at Emily as they did.

"Come on," said Jake, tugging on Emily's arm. At the expression on Stacey's face, he added, "Don't worry, Stace, we'll find a compartment soon, but if you don't want to stay, you're more than welcome to go find the others."

"And have someone tell Mum that I abandoned Emily right after being told to look after her? Not a chance."

Emily ignored them and continued walking down the corridor. She really didn't need their help; she was fine on her own. She was about to tell them this when she stopped in front of a compartment with the door open. A girl with bushy brown hair sat by the window; her wand lay on the seat beside her, and a book rested in her lap. She was reading the book so intently that she didn't notice Emily watching her. Emily had no idea who this girl was, but she felt a connection with her; she knew they could be good friends.

From behind her, Emily heard Jake and Stacey approaching. She turned to them and said, "I'm going to sit here. You two can go find your friends."

Stacey looked relieved; she must have thought that Emily was never going to find a compartment to her satisfaction. She was already halfway down the corridor before Emily had finished speaking. Jake, on the other hand, hesitated. "You're sure?" he asked. Emily nodded. "Well, then I guess I'll see you tonight." He turned and headed after Stacey.

"Jake?" called Emily.

He stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He smiled. "You're welcome. I'll see you tonight, then?"

Emily nodded. "See you later."

She watched him walk away then turned back to the compartment. She knocked gently on the glass, and the brown-haired girl looked up, startled. Emily smiled at her. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

The girl shook her head. "Go ahead."

Emily pulled her trunk into the compartment and, with a bit of effort, shoved it on the rack above the seat. The other girl watched her the entire time. When Emily sat down across from her, she stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "My name's Hermione Granger. This is my first year." Emily grasped Hermione's hand and shook it.

"I'm Emily Freeman. This is my first year, too."

Just like when she first met Charlotte and Sara on her first day at Muggle school six years ago, Emily immediately felt comfortable with Hermione, as if she had known the other girl for years instead of minutes. She was certain that the two would become close friends before the week was over.

"Who was that in the corridor with you?" asked Hermione suddenly. Emily was surprised. She thought Hermione hadn't noticed her until she entered the compartment. The girl was more observant than Emily had given her credit for.

"Oh, those were two of my siblings. Stacey and Jake. They're fourth-years."

"They don't look much like you," observed Hermione.

Emily cringed internally. Hopefully, not everyone at Hogwarts was as observant as this girl. Outwardly, Emily laughed. "We get that all the time. None of us look like each other. Neither does Max, my other brother."

Hermione nodded. "Do you enjoy having siblings? You see I'm an only child."

"It has its ups and its downs. I mean, they can be great, especially Jake, but other times I can't stand them, and they can't stand me. I did miss them, though, when they all went off to Hogwarts for the last two years and left me at home. I couldn't wait 'til I could join them this year."

"Your siblings are all witches and wizards, then?" She nodded.

"No one in my family is," continued Hermione. "I'm the first one; my parents were dreadfully excited when I received the letter. I couldn't believe it when I learned I was a witch. I was so relieved, though; I didn't know why I was so different from everyone else. But you've known your entire life that you're a witch."

Again, Emily nodded. "But it wasn't until I was seven that I knew for certain. There's always a chance, even in magical families, that a child won't show any signs of magic. I'd die if that happened to me; I don't know how I'd be able to live watching my siblings perform magic while I couldn't."

This time, Hermione nodded, understanding. "So you must already know a bunch of different spells, coming from a family where everyone is a witch or wizard."

"Actually, no," replied Emily. "I mean, I've heard of some spells from my parents and siblings, but I haven't actually performed them myself. The only magic I've done is accidental magic. Some spells more accidental than others," she added.

Hermione smiled brightly. "Well, then we can learn together!"

She picked up her wand, making space for Emily to sit beside her. Emily retrieved her own wand and joined the other girl. The two girls had their heads buried together in Hermione's copy of _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One)_ when they heard a small, hesitant cough by the compartment door. The two girls raised their heads, one brown and one red, simultaneously to see a small, round-faced boy carrying a toad in his hands. He stood there, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He cleared his throat again and said quietly. "Can I sit there? Everywhere else is full."

"Of course," said Emily brightly, smiling at him. She turned to Hermione. "You don't mind, do you?" After all, Hermione was here first, thought Emily, but I doubt she'd say no, either.

"Of course, not," said Hermione looking at the boy in the doorway. "My name is Hermione Granger," she added. "And this is Emily Freeman."

"My name's Neville Longbottom," said the boy as he sat down across from them, balancing on the edge of his seat.

"Are you excited to be going to Hogwarts, Neville?" asked Hermione trying to put him at ease.

He nodded. Then added, "No one in my family could believe it. They all thought I was a Squib." He went quiet again, as if he thought they would judge him now that they knew that secret. Emily, for one, didn't care. He seemed sweet, if a little shy.

"What House do you think you'll be in?" asked Emily, also trying to ease the tension. Unfortunately, her question only seemed to make him more anxious.

"Both my parents were in Gryffindor," he said. "Everyone in my family expects me to be a Gryffindor, but I'm sure I'll be placed in Hufflepuff." With his shoulders slumped and his head down, Emily thought he looked like a pitiful little puppy. She glanced at Hermione in desperation. The other girl looked back at her and sighed quietly.

"That wouldn't be too bad, Neville," Hermione said consolingly. "As long as you're not in Slytherin, right?"

Neville looked up at her. "I suppose so."

Emily joined in. "My entire family is in Gryffindor as well, but I have no idea where I'll end up. I hope I'm in Gryffindor, but as long as I'm not in Slytherin. . ."

Hermione nodded. "From what I've read, Gryffindor sounds like it is the best, and I want to go there, but I don't think I'd mind being placed in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I'd never want to be in Slytherin," she added. "More Dark wizards come from Slytherin than any other House."

Both Emily and Neville nodded. "They do," they said together. They looked at each other in surprise then laughed awkwardly. As Hermione continued talking to Neville, Emily watched him closely. She was sure she had heard the name Longbottom before, but she couldn't remember where. She wondered what the Slytherin Dark wizards had done to him to make him speak as bitterly as she did. Sighing, she resolved to put it out of her mind. She wasn't going to remember any time soon, and she, for no reason, would ask Neville. She doubted he'd want to talk about it, and he was finally opening up. She didn't want to ruin that.

The three of them passed several hours talking about Hogwarts and their families. Later, Neville got out _Quidditch News!_ and began to read while Hermione and Emily returned to the spell books. They took a break when a witch with the trolley came around to ask them if they wanted anything. Emily jumped up and grabbed a few Sickles. She heard all about the trolley from the first letter that Max sent back, and she couldn't wait to try it. She and Neville had fun introducing Hermione to wizarding candy. At first Hermione was reluctant to try the various sweets, saying she didn't want to get any cavities (Her parents were dentists, apparently), but eventually she gave in, and Emily grinned in triumph.

They spent the next several hours enjoying each other's company until Neville suddenly looked under the seat and back up at the girls, panicked.

"What's wrong, Neville?" asked Hermione.

"It's Trevor! He's gone!"

"It'll be okay, Neville," said Hermione reassuringly. "We'll find Trevor. If he's not in our compartment, I'm sure he hasn't gone too far."

Neville wasn't paying her any attention. "Gran's going to kill me," he mumbled to himself.

Emily jumped up and grabbed his arms, shaking him a bit, so he'd look at her. "It's alright, Neville. We'll find him. Hermione's right; he can't have gone too far. You look in here and then out in the corridor. Hermione and I will search the rest of the train. Okay?" He nodded, teary-eyed.

Hermione also got up. By the door, she stopped. "We will find him, Neville. I promise you that." He nodded and began looking under the seats for his toad.

The two girls stopped in the corridor. "I'll go this way," said Hermione pointing to their left.

Emily nodded. "Then I'll head that way. Good luck."

"You, too."

The girls parted ways to search for Trevor. Emily felt sorry for Neville. He was so upset. She knew she would never want to be seen with a toad, but to each his own, right? She stopped in every compartment she passed and asked if anyone had seen a toad. The answer was always no; although, a few people said if they saw one they'd let her know. She wondered if she'd see Harry in one of the compartments she passed. This was not how she imagined meeting her brother, asking him if he'd seen a toad anywhere because her friend Neville had lost one.

In one of the compartments, she heard the students before she saw them. Explosions and lots of laughter. She grinned. It seemed like they were having fun. She stopped in front of the compartment and looked in. There were two redhead boys and a black boy with dreadlocks. A game of Exploding Snap was set up in between the two seats, but at the moment, the three boys were rolling around on the seats, laughing their heads off. She remembered what Jake had said about there being a lot of redheads at Hogwarts this year. It seemed he was right.

Just then, the black boy looked up and saw her standing there. Emily stepped forward. "Have any of you seen a toad, anywhere," she asked for what seemed like the thousandth time, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "One of my friends has lost his."

The two redheads turned around to face her. They looked to be only a couple of years older than her and were quite obviously twins. "Nope," said the one closer to the window. "Haven't seen any toads."

"But if it was me," added the one closer to her, "I would lose it as fast as I could."

Emily shrugged. "If you see a toad, though, would you tell me? We're over there," she added gesturing back the way she had come.

"Sure," said one of the twins. "But we'll do even better than just telling you—"

"We'll bring you the toad, too!"

"Thanks," said Emily grinning. "I appreciate it."

She searched up and down her half of the train but could not find the toad anyway. Reluctantly, she headed back to their compartment. Oh, how she hoped Hermione was able to find the toad! She couldn't bear to tell Neville that they couldn't find Trevor, after promising him that they would. She reached the compartment and looked inside. Hermione was already back. For a moment, Emily's heart soared; she was sure the other girl must have found Trevor, but then she saw Neville's face. He was staring at the floor, a picture of utter dejection. Hermione glanced up and saw Emily standing at the door.

"Emily, did you—?" Hermione saw the look on Emily's face and fell silent, but it was too late. Neville started and looked up at Emily, hopefully.

Biting her lip, Emily entered the compartment and sat across from Neville. "I'm so sorry, Neville. I couldn't find him." Emily felt like her heart was about to tear as tears leaked out from Neville's eyes. "He'll turn up, Neville," she tried to reassure him. "He's a magical toad, right?" Neville nodded. "Then he'll turn up," Emily repeated.

"I agree with Emily," said Hermione. "Magical animals are amazing. They always find their way back to their owners. I wouldn't be surprised if he hopped into your hands before dinner."

Emily and Hermione continued telling Neville how smart Trevor was and that he would come back on his own soon enough. Eventually, the tears dried, and Neville began to smile again. It was at this time that Hermione tried to change the subject so as to keep Neville's mind off his missing toad. "Guess who I saw on the train earlier?" she asked.

"Who?" asked Emily, curious.

"Harry Potter."

"Really?" asked Neville. "What is he like?" Both he and Emily watched Hermione expectantly, waiting for the answer. Not only did Hermione manage to distract Neville, but also Emily. This was something that Emily would talk about until they reached Hogwarts; she wanted to know everything about her brother.

"Well?" prodded Emily when Hermione took her time to answer.

"He was quiet," said Hermione thoughtfully. "He had no idea that there have been books written about him, either. He looks exactly like the pictures of his father," she added. "Every book I've read about him has a picture of Harry as a baby with his mum and dad. His dad had glasses and out-of-control black hair. Harry looks exactly like him. But he had his mum's eyes—forest green." Emily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hoping Hermione wouldn't notice how much _Emily_ resembled Harry's mum. Fortunately, Hermione continued on, oblivious for once. "And of course, he has the scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. I'll admit, when I learned who he was, I couldn't help but prattle on. He's so famous, and he doesn't even know it. . ."

Hermione continued talking with Neville hanging on her every word, but Emily was quiet, thoughtful. It never truly struck her before, she realized. She was going to meet her brother, a brother whom she had no memory of (except for a few dreams, but those didn't really count), and who would certainly not remember her. Plus, he was the Boy-Who-Lived, the most famous eleven-year-old in the wizarding world.

"Was he with anyone?" asked Emily suddenly. She couldn't bear the thought of Harry sitting on the train all by himself while she was with Neville and Hermione, talking and laughing together.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"Was he with anyone?" asked Emily, concern growing.

She nodded, and Emily was flooded with relief. "He was with a redheaded boy named Ron Weasley." She wrinkled her nose. "He was trying to turn his rat yellow, but I'm positive it wasn't even a real spell. And he had a spot of dirt on his nose."

Emily laughed. Obviously, Hermione didn't have a very high opinion of this Ron Weasley after talking to him for less than a minute. Hermione looked at her quizzically, which only made Emily laugh even harder. After a moment, Hermione also started to laugh. Neville looked at the two girls, confused. A second later he glanced out the window, and he stared in wonder. "Look," he breathed. The two girls hurried to join him at the window. Set against, the darkening sky was a castle. A hundred windows gleamed brightly at them from across a lake.

The three looked at each other. They had arrived.

**Reviews? Please? You know you love me enough to review. . . **


	14. The Sorting

**Wow, I didn't realize how long the last chapter was compared to the others, but it was a lot of fun to write. I must say, rain pouring and lightning flickering across the sky makes the perfect atmosphere in which to write a quiet Saturday afternoon. Anyways, here's the next chapter (even longer) in which Emily, Hermione, Ron, Harry and the others are Sorted. In the next chapter, however, Emily is going to have a few interesting conversations with various people. . . **

**Thank you for the reviews. And in answer to a question: Emily does see Harry, but she doesn't have the conversation with him yet. She wants to talk to him when no one else is around, and that, unfortunately, does not happen the first night at Hogwarts. I do promise though that it's coming very soon (her conversation with Harry may or may not be one of the interesting conversations that are coming in the next chapter). . . **

**Disclaimer: Many ideas belong exclusively to JKR, and some of the dialogue is directly taken from HP1; however, Emily, her thoughts, feelings, and actions are all mine, and mine alone. **

Emily followed Hermione off the train with Neville behind her. The stars shone brightly above her, and a gentle breeze blew, making her shiver slightly. Her eyes roamed over the crowd of people. She was looking for him; she was perfectly willing to admit that: she was looking for him. Unfortunately, she could not see him amongst the crowd of students all wearing the same black robes, blending into the night as they moved farther away from the brightly-lit train.

"Come on," called Hermione, tugging on her arm and propelling her forward. Emily half-turned around as she walked, making sure that Neville was still behind her. She didn't want him to get separated from the two of them; knowing him as she did now, she wasn't sure he'd be able to make it to the castle on his own for the first time. Thankfully, though, he seemed to be thinking along the same lines and was making following her and Hermione his top priority.

Emily wasn't sure exactly where Hermione thought she was going. They had left their trunks at the station; a Ravenclaw prefect had told them their luggage would be sent to the castle separately. So with nothing to carry, Emily found it relatively easy to weave her way through the crowd to the edge of the platform with Hermione and Neville. At the edge of the crowd, Hermione paused, looking uncertain. Unfortunately, Emily had no idea where they were supposed to go either.

Before she could worry, however, a loud voice called out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hermione, Emily and Neville turned to the voice. Standing a bit apart from the crowd and holding a lantern above his head, a giant stood watching the students spilling out of the train. It was the same man who had been with Harry in Diagon Alley, Emily remembered. Speaking of Harry, she craned her neck to look over the students in the direction Hagrid had been facing. There! The small, scrawny black-haired boy with glasses that was her brother approached Hagrid. He was followed by a redhead. The second boy's freckles shone in the lamplight, and Emily knew that he must be Ron Weasley.

Emily then realized Hermione and Neville had already moved forward to join the growing group of first-year students in front of Hagrid. Emily ran to join them and stopped beside Hermione, panting slightly. Hermione turned to her smiling. "We're finally here!" she whispered. Grinning, Emily nodded, her head bobbing up and down, and began bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, unable to contain her excitement.

"C'mon, follow me—any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Tripping over their feet slightly, the crowd of first-years followed Hagrid down a path bounded on either side by the dark shadows of trees. From up ahead of them, Emily heard some girls gasp, and turning the corner, Emily saw the Hogwarts castle directly in front of her on the other side of a vast expanse of black lake. The castle lay reflected in the water, the image distorted by the waves rolling gently toward shore.

"No more'n four to a boat!" called Hagrid pointing at a collection of boats bobbing in the water near them. Hermione and Emily climbed into a boat followed by Neville. A small girl with blond pigtails joined them. Everyone was silent as the boats silently drifted across the lake toward the castle. Emily couldn't take her eyes off it. It truly was magnificent; nothing Jake, Stacey, nor Max had ever said to describe it did it justice. It was by far the grandest sight Emily had ever seen.

Soon they reached the other side of the lake, and everyone clambered out. They were now directly beneath the castle. Hagrid, who was checking the boats, found Neville's toad. Emily and Hermione shared a look and a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Trevor showed up, thought Emily. Neville was going ballistic on the train. Gratefully, Neville held out his hands and held Trevor protectively to his chest, not giving the little toad another chance to escape.

As a group they proceeded up a flight of stone steps to a great wooden door. Hagrid knocked on the door three times, and it immediately opened to reveal a tall black-haired witch in green robes. Hagrid said something to her, but Emily couldn't hear what was said. The woman, however, pulled open the doors and led the first-years into the castle. The entryway was huge. Emily craned her neck to look all around; to her right she heard the general roar that was the rest of the school, but the witch led them to a smaller room.

She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and proceeded to tell them about the school—the Houses, the House Cup, and a bit about the Sorting Ceremony (all things that Emily had learned from Jake, Stacey, and Max). After McGonagall left, the students began chattering nervously to each other.

"What do you think the Sorting will be like?" asked Neville nervously, turning toward her and Hermione.

Hermione answered right away. "I'm not sure, but whatever magic we have to do, I think I'll be ready for it." She then began rattling off a list of spells she could do and worrying whether she should have memorized some other spells that weren't in the regular books.

Neville's eyes widened, and he looked at Emily, who was rolling her eyes at Hermione's litany. She knew that Hermione was just nervous and that this was her way of coping with nerves. "We have to perform magic? I don't know any spells!"

"Of course not," Emily said to Neville. "One of my brothers, Max, likes to play pranks on me all the time and told me that we had to battle with various magical creatures before answering questions about plants and potions ingredients in front of the entire school. He told me that if we got one question wrong, we wouldn't be sorted into the House we wanted most." Seeing Neville's eyes widening even more, she hurried to add, "Because of that, I started having nightmares until my other brother Jake told me what really happened during the Sorting Ceremony." She paused for breath, and Neville watched her anxiously.

"What happens?" he asked breathlessly.

"We put on a hat," Emily finished. "The hat is magical, of course, and it sorts us into our Houses."

"Oh," Neville sighed, obviously relieved, but then he furrowed his brow, plagued by new worries. "What if the Hat doesn't choose a House for us?"

"The Hat chooses a House for everybody, Neville," said Emily only half-paying attention. She was trying to listen in on Harry and Ron's conversation. "If you weren't going to be Sorted, you wouldn't be here in the first place."

Emily now stood on tiptoe to get a better look at Harry and his redheaded friend. Ron was telling Harry what he knew about the Sorting, which wasn't much and was all wrong. Harry was nervous, but he was trying to hide it, putting on a brave face for the world to see.

Just then, Professor McGonagall reappeared and told the first years to follow her. Emily walked beside Hermione, who was still muttering different spells under her breath, and Neville followed behind them. Emily's eyes widened when they entered the Great Hall. It was huge. Four long tables, holding each of the Houses, stretched across the room, and at the far end a fifth table held the teachers. Above the tables, candles floated in the air, making shadows dance across the wall as they flickered above the students. Every now and then, Emily saw a pearly white ghost sitting in between two students at each of the tables.

As they entered, all the students turned to face them. Professor McGonagall led the first-years between two of the tables toward the front of the room. Hermione nudged Emily and pointed to the ceiling. Emily gasped; instead of wooden rafters, she saw the indigo night sky, splattered with stars above her. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_. Emily knew that, but then again, it was quite another thing to see it in person.

At the front of the room, the first-years turned to face the rest of the school, their backs to the teachers. In front of them, McGonagall placed a stool with a ratty, old hat on it. They all stared expectantly at the hat. After a moment, the brim split open to form a mouth, and it began to sing. Emily bit her lip to keep from laughing. Jake hadn't told her the hat sang ! While the hat performed, she sought him out at the table of red and gold. He was sitting toward the front, and when he caught her staring at him, he smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Emily smiled back happily then turned her attention back to the hat, which was just finishing its song.

Around her, the first-years broke into relieved whispers, thankful that all they had to do was try on a hat. Hermione, however, seemed a little disappointed. Because all her worry was for nothing, thought Emily. "All we have to do is try on the hat?" she whispered to Emily, who nodded back.

"When I call your name," interrupted McGonagall from beside the hat, "put the hat on your head and sit on the stool."

Hermione's worries came back in full force as Professor McGonagall called the first name. She gripped Emily's hand, squeezing so tightly Emily was sure her hand was going to break under the pressure. As name after name was called, Emily slowly felt herself growing more and more nervous. What if she wasn't in Gryffindor? She knew that Mary, Mike, and Jake wouldn't care, but Stacey and Max would tease her, and she really wanted to be in the same house as her parents, to sleep in the same dormitory her mum did, sit on the same couches in the common room, especially since she never knew her parents. Emily bit her lip and tapped her foot as she waited for her name to be called. She wanted her Sorting to be over with. At this point, it was an ordeal to be suffered.

"Freeman, Emily," called McGonagall. Hermione released Emily's hand and gave her a small smile. Emily smiled tightly back. She saw all her siblings watching her from the Gryffindor as she walked up to the stool. Emily sat on the stool and closed her eyes. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It slipped over her head, covering half her face. Emily held her breath and waited.

"Emily Freeman, hmm? But we both know that's not really who are, don't we?"

No, thought Emily. I'm Emily Lily Potter."

"Another Potter," mused the Hat. "Now, where to put you? Where to put you?"

Emily hardly dared to think, lest she disturbed the Hat, but unbidden a vision of her mother sitting in the Gryffindor common room and laughing with friends crept into her mind.

"Yes," agreed the Hat. "You are very much like your parents. It would be the perfect place for you."

Emily waited breathless for the Hat to call out its decision to the school.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Emily opened her eyes and sighed in relief. She bounced up from the stool and half-skipped over to the cheering Gryffindor table. "Way to go, Emily!" called Jake from where he stood. Emily grinned. She'd done it; she'd survived the Sorting, and she was in Gryffindor. Before sitting down, she glanced back at the first years still standing in front of the staff table and caught Harry's eye. He stared at her for a second before she broke eye contact as she sat down. When she looked up again, he was watching the boy after her be Sorted.

"Granger, Hermione." Emily crossed her fingers as Hermione ran to the stool and sat down. It seemed she was over her nerves, thought Emily happily. She hoped Hermione would be in Gryffindor as well. She'd be sad to say goodbye to her friend so soon after meeting her. Thankfully, she didn't have long to wait and wonder.

"GRYFFINDOR!" cried the Hat. Emily grinned, and with the rest of the Gryffindor table she stood up, clapping and cheering as Hermione ran over to her. Hermione collapsed on the bench beside Emily and gave a sigh of relief. Her eyes sparkled, and she was smiling. Emily beamed. The year was already going great, and they hadn't even had dinner yet.

Awhile later, Neville, too, joined them at the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been Sorted that he started off to join his table with the Hat still on his head. He had to return it to Professor McGonagall to the laughter of the rest of the school. Emily smiled sympathetically as he sat down across from her, blushing furiously, and tried to make himself smaller.

The Sorting went on with many of the students not paying attention; instead they whispered amongst themselves and complained about how long the Sorting was taking and how hungry they were.

"Potter, Harry!" Silence descended on the Great Hall for a moment, and then the whispers began.

"Did she say Potter? The Harry Potter?"

"Where do you think he'll be Sorted?"

"With us I hope—"

Emily watched as Harry walked over to the school, dragging his feet slightly. She knew he heard the whispers, and he was embarrassed. He, she was sure, would like nothing better than to have the earth swallow him whole at that moment than have the entire school watching him. She figured he'd better get used to it because this was what life would be like for him for a long time.

McGonagall placed the hat on Harry's head, and everyone stared unblinkingly at the boy. The seconds passed, then a minute. What was taking the Hat so long, wondered Emily. After what seemed an eternity, the brim of the Hat split open, and it called out: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The loudest cheer yet that night erupted from the Gryffindor table. Everyone was on their feet, applauding wildly. Emily was ecstatic. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead twins shouting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Eyes shining, Emily watched as Harry got up and made his way over to the applauding Gryffindors. He had a small smile on his face and was quite obviously relieved to have finished the Sorting. He took a seat on the side opposite Emily and a few places down. The Gryffindors were still applauding wildly, and a few came over to pat Harry on the back. He seemed to be a little out-of-it, noticed Emily as she sat down. He didn't appear to notice anymore of the people who came to congratulate him; instead, he turned to look at the first-years left to be Sorted and watched eagerly. Finally, the Gryffindors calmed down enough for Professor McGonagall to call the next name (she was glaring at them for a full minute before they quieted down though), and the Sorting continued.

The Sorting continued relatively quickly until only a few students (including Harry's friend Ron) were left. When it was Ron's turn, Emily noticed Harry looked a little anxious. Obviously, he hoped that Ron would join him in Gryffindor, just as she had hoped Hermione would join her. For his part, Ron looked rather green as he walked to the Hat, shaking. He sank onto the stool and squeezed his eyes shut as Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on his head. A second later, the Hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!" Ron visibly slumped in the stool, obviously relieved, and when McGonagall took the hat off his head, he was smiling brightly. Harry was the first to leap to his feet, along with several redheads that Emily assumed were his brothers. The four of them led the applause and were the last to finish and sit down after Ron had joined them.

The Sorting finished soon after with "Zabini, Blaise" being made a Slytherin. As the applause died away, Dumbledore got to his feet, beaming at them all. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down to thunderous applause; everyone in the Great Hall was clapping and cheering. Emily joined in, shaking her head and laughing as she clapped. From the corner of her eye, she saw Harry turn to one of Ron's brothers and ask, confused, "Is he—a bit mad?"

"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes." Oh, Harry, thought Emily turning away and filling her empty plate with food. He needed to learn to relax just a bit and take some things as they come.

Emily chatted happily with Hermione and Neville and met some of the other Gryffindors. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas were also first-years. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown would be sharing a dormitory with Emily and Hermione and seemed to be in the process of becoming best friends, just as she and Hermione already had.

A bit into the meal, Emily heard Ron exclaim, "I know who you are! My brothers told me about you—you're Nearly Headless Nick!" Everyone looked over and saw the boys staring a ghost in a ruff and tights, who was looking extremely annoyed. Emily's brothers had told her all about Nick as well, but Jake had also told her that it was best not to bring the subject of his death up; he could be rather touchy about it.

Unfortunately, Seamus didn't know that. "Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Emily watched curiously. Ever since Max had told her about the Gryffindor ghost, she had been curious about how one became nearly headless, but she was tactful enough to not actually ask Nick himself. Irritated, the ghost said, "Like this," and he grabbed his left ear and pulled. His entire head followed until it was hanging off his neck by only a thread.

After that little display, dinner continued. The boys were talking about their families. Parvati and Lavender were gossiping about who-knows-what, and Hermione was interrogating Percy Weasley, the redhead Harry was talking to earlier, about classes. Of course, thought Emily. She listened in as Neville and Seamus told their stories to the other boys. She didn't say anything because boys, being boys, were oblivious and never thought to ask her about her own family. She didn't mind. What would she even say if they did ask? After all, she couldn't tell the truth.

Emily had just finished her dessert and had put her fork down when she felt it. A sharp sting across her forehead. She winced, squeezing her eyes shut and placed her hand across her forehead. A sharp "Ouch!" made her look up. Harry had clapped his hand over the scar on his forehead and was staring shocked up at the teachers' table. The pain she had felt was Harry's pain, Emily realized. Unbidden, a thought darted through Emily's head. This wasn't the first time his scar has pained him. How did she know that she wondered. The connection between them seemed to be growing stronger, though, if now she could feel his pain, or maybe, she mused, she could feel it now because they were the closest they had been to each other since they were one-year olds. Emily stared thoughtfully at Harry as he shook his head to clear his mind and said something to Percy. Turning back to the table, he caught her staring at him and smiled at her. She smiled back, too happy to be embarrassed that she had been caught staring.

Just then the desserts disappeared from the table, and Dumbledore once more stood up. "Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Emily noticed that his twinkling eyes glanced over to the Gryffindor table, to the redhead twins in particular.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker," he continued, "to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out-of-bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

The Hall exploded into whispering. "What do you think he means?" asked Emily turning toward Hermione.

"I don't know," she replied looking at the headmaster. "Something has to be there, something the students can't know about." Emily followed her gaze up to the headmaster, who was waiting patiently for the whispers to die down. His announcement had made her curious. She was very tempted to, one night, go to the third-floor corridor to see what was there. She doubted Hermione would ever let her, though.

"All right, all right!" called Dumbledore. "Settle down." When they finally had quieted, he looked around the Hall, beaming once again, at them all. "And on that note, I think it's time for bed. You want to be well-rested for your classes tomorrow! Prefects, would you please show the first-years to the dormitories."

The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. They wandered up other staircases, down passageways hidden by tapestries, and through doorways that looked exactly like the walls around them. Emily spent the entire journey chatting happily to Hermione at the back of the group. Like Hermione, Emily couldn't wait for classes to start, and the two girls planned to wake up early together to head down to breakfast. As they entered another corridor hidden behind a tapestry depicting an ancient battle between the Fomorians and the Ard Ri, Emily knew she was going to get hopelessly lost at some point in the next few weeks. She shrugged the thought off, though. Thank goodness, Hermione had a photographic memory. As long as she stuck with the other girl, Emily would be able to find her own way around the castle soon enough. And then there were her siblings. Well, maybe not Max and Stacey; they might send her to that third-floor corridor when she was trying to find class, but she could always count on Jake.

All of a sudden the group stopped, and Emily almost ran into Pavarti. "What's going on?" she asked Hermione, unable to see over the others' heads.

"I don't know," replied Hermione also craning her neck to catch a glimpse of what was going on up front.

Just then they heard a pop, and a little man appeared floating in the air above them and holding a pair of walking sticks. Laughing evilly, he said, "Oooooh! Ickle Firsties! What fun!" He swooped down upon them, and they all ducked. Parvati and Lavender shrieked. This only made the poltergeist laugh harder.

"Go away, Peeves" called Percy from up front, "or I'll tell the Baron!"

With a loud raspberry, the poltergeist turned tail and flew away, after dropping his walking sticks on Neville's head that is. There was a collective sigh of relief as Percy turned toward the first-years. "That was Peeves the Poltergeist. Watch out for him; no one can control him except the Bloody Baron. Come on." He turned around briskly and led them the rest of the way down the corridor toward a portrait of a very fat woman wearing a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

Slowly and clearly so that all the first-years could hear him, Percy replied, "Caput Draconis." The portrait swung open, and the first-years followed Percy into the Gryffindor common room. To their right, was a huge brick fireplace with a fire crackling cheerfully from inside it. In front of the fireplace was a collection of deep red couches and armchairs upon which other Gryffindors were already sprawled, relaxing in each other's company before heading to bed. On the left, Emily saw several tables and chairs where a few girls sat talking and laughing together. In front of them lay two staircases, leading Emily assumed to the dormitories. In between the staircases, a bulletin board graced the wall, covered in announcements about Quidditch tryouts and Hogsmeade trips.

"The girls dormitories are up the stairs on your left," announced Percy stopping in front of the bulletin board, "and the boys are the same on your right."

Emily and Hermione slowly climbed the stairs after Pavarti and Lavender, entering the door marked First-Years. Inside, four beds with red curtains circled a center table. Between each of the beds, a small dressing table sat beneath a window looking out on the forest below. Their trunks sat at the foot of each bed.

Silently, the girls approached their respective beds and began changing out of their robes. They were all too tired to talk. Emily paused in pulling off her robes and looked out her window. The stars sparkled brightly in the night sky. It seemed like they were winking at her, welcoming her and wishing her luck. Emily looked back at the other girls. Her bed was directly across from the door, between Hermione and Pavarti.

Hermione caught her eye and smiled at her. "Good night, Emily."

"'Night," replied Emily climbing into bed and pulling the curtains around her. She laid back, her arms under her head, and stared at the ceiling of her bed. She sighed in contentment. There was no way she was going to fall asleep anytime soon, she thought. She was too excited. She allowed her mind to wander, and soon her thoughts, inevitably, turned to her brother. She would talk to him tomorrow, she decided. She didn't want to wait, and she wanted him to know who she really was before he formed any long-lasting impressions. Rolling over, she smiled into her pillow. It would be an interesting conversation tomorrow to be sure, she thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Well? What do you think? Feel free to tell me in a review (hint, hint). Like I said above, though, next chapter Emily is going to have some interesting conversations with various people. . .

**Can you believe it, though? After all this time, she's finally made it to Hogwarts, and Harry will realize he's not as alone as he thought he was. **


	15. Who is She?

**Sorry the update took so long. I've had a busy month filled with exams, exams and (what do you know) more exams. I know I said that Emily would be having her talk with Harry in this chapter, but then when I was planning what was going to happen in the first half of first year, I remembered I wanted to include this. But I promise, the conversation is coming soon—it will happen after dinner the first day of class, so be on the watch!**

**Disclaimer: Las ideas de JKR no son mías, pero la de Emily sí es. **

**/whoops, I had it brought to my attention that I wrote 'Dumbledore' instead of 'Voldemort.' (Thanks, ) My mistake. So now that's fixed, and I promise that I'm working on the next chapter (I've been away for awhile) and that I won't give up on the story. **

The Hall was filled with flickering candlelight and the gentle roar of hundreds of students conversing with their friends. Although her plate was full of steaming food, Minerva McGonagall paid it hardly any mind; she was too absorbed in her thoughts. Never had she dwelled on a Sorting so much, she thought wryly to herself. There was something different about this one, though, aside from the fact that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived was Sorted into Gryffindor. No, her thoughts were centered on the redhead girl that was also Sorted into Gryffindor. Emily Freeman. The girl had bright red hair and sparkling hazel eyes. She reminded Minerva of another student she had taught years ago—Lily Evans.

Minerva watched the girl closely. She was laughing and talking merrily among her fellow Gryffindor first-years. How could Emily resemble Lily so closely? She knew there was something she ought to know about the girl, but she had forgotten. She wondered. . .

Just then, Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts. "How are the potatoes tonight, Minerva?" he asked quietly leaning in towards her.

Minerva started and glanced down at her plate. She hadn't touched the potatoes. "They're delicious," she said looking at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling at her. It was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking about and, moreover, knew the answer to the questions she had.

"Who is that girl, Albus?" she asked suddenly nodding at the redhead. "Emily Freeman."

"Why, she's a Gryffindor first-year. She's the fourth of her family to come to Hogwarts. All her siblings, like her, are in Gryffindor," he said mildly.

Minerva raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at the headmaster. "I think you know perfectly well what I mean, Albus."

He sighed and glanced over at Emily smiling brightly, her hair gleaming in the candlelight. Minerva also looked at Emily. "She looks exactly like Lily," she remarked. "Except for her eyes. Her eyes look uncannily like those of James Potter." She looked back at Dumbledore expectantly. "Now why do you think that would be?"

"Why indeed?" Minerva closed her eyes and prayed for patience. Trying to get information out of Dumbledore was like pulling teeth. The man enjoyed playing oblivious. Minerva had just resigned herself to uncertainty (after all, if Dumbledore didn't feel inclined to divulge something, there was nothing she could say to convince him otherwise) when he spoke again.

"I was planning on telling you when the time was right, and now that they have arrived at Hogwarts, it seems like that that time is upon us."

"They?" asked Minerva.

Dumbledore nodded. "Emily Freeman is Harry Potter's twin sister."

Minerva looked at him in shock. That would explain the girl's looks, a part of her mind reasoned. "But how can that be?" she asked. "Wouldn't people know if the Potters had a daughter?" More importantly, wouldn't she know about it?

Dumbledore shook his head. "As you know, when it was discovered that Voldemort was after Harry, James and Lily went with him into hiding. As Emily was in no danger from Voldemort, I suggested that she was safer somewhere else. Lily brought her to the Freemans' because Mary was Emily's godmother. After Voldemort murdered Lily and James, Harry went to live at his aunt and uncle's, and Emily remained at the Freemans'."

Minerva listened avidly as Dumbledore recounted the story. She could hardly believe it, yet in her heart she knew it to be true. However. . .

"That still doesn't explain why I have no memory of Emily's existence," she said when it appeared that Dumbledore would not continue. "And why didn't the twins remain together?"

Dumbledore stared into the pumpkin juice in his goblet. It appeared he was contemplating what to tell her. Finally, he looked back up at her and smiled a tad sadly. "Voldemort is not gone forever," he began. "He will return one day, and when he does, he will go after Harry. Harry is safer at his aunt and uncle's house, and Emily is safer if no one knows she's Harry's sister. To protect her, I cast a Forgetfulness Spell soon after Voldemort's downfall. No one except Mike and Mary Freeman and I knew Emily's identity. Someone could only learn of what they had forgotten if one of us told them. It is a well-kept and dangerous secret."

Minerva nodded, reconciling the information. "The poor girl," she remarked, shaking her head. "Does she know?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Mary wrote to me a few years ago telling me she told Emily after a dream Emily had of her mother's death."

"But she wasn't there," protested Minerva.

"No," agreed Dumbledore before falling silent.

Knowing she wouldn't get any more of a response than that, Minerva moved on to her next question. "And Harry," she asked, "does he know?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No, but I'm sure he will soon enough. From what Mary has told me, Emily has been waiting for years to meet Harry and tell him that she's his sister."

Minerva smiled wryly and looked back at the Gryffindor table. If she had to guess, she would say that, if given the chance, Emily would corner her brother that very night. She pursed her lips and shook her head slightly in wonder. There was a second Potter. Who would have thought. . .

Severus Snape did not eat a single bite at the feast, and he ignored both Professor Quirrell and Professor Sinistra, who sat on either side of him. He had never particularly cared about the Sortings before. He would clap politely with the other teachers after every Sorting and glancing up briefly whenever a student was Sorted into Slytherin.

This Sorting was different, however. He had let his gaze wander over the sea of first years as the hat was singing its usual song, and that was when he saw it. In the middle of the crowd was a small girl with bright red hair. Now redheads weren't that rare, and he would have allowed his gaze to continue to wander aimlessly throughout the Hall except just then the girl turned slightly, and Severus caught a glimpse of her face.

He stiffened, eyes widening. No, it couldn't be her. She was dead after all. He watched the girl bouncing up and down in excitement and tried to calm his racing heart. He could always be hallucinating, the rational side of his brain suggested. He was already thinking about her because her son was here this year, and so he saw her face in the girl's. Convinced that that must be it, Severus settled back in his seat and tried to put it out of his mind, but he watched the Sorting intently for the first time in years to get another glimpse of her face and determine if he was truly insane.

"Freeman, Emily!"

Snape watched as the little redhead girl made her way through the crowd and toward the Hat. She settled onto the stool and McGonagall placed the Hat on her head. After a moment, the Hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!" The girl jumped up and bounded over to the Gryffindor table. Before sitting down, she glanced back towards the remaining first years, and Snape once again saw her face. He drew a sharp breath. He hadn't been hallucinating. The girl looked exactly like her. Lily.

The rest of the Sorting passed in a blur, and he hardly noticed when the food appeared on the plates in front of him. He was lost in his memories and musings. When he wasn't gazing into empty space or staring at the girl Emily Freeman trying to make sense of her, he was glaring at Dumbledore, willing the headmaster to turn to him, wanting him to know that they would be having a strongly-worded conversation later. But if Dumbledore was aware of Snape's glares, he gave no indication of it, and Snape was left to sigh in frustration.

Later, the feast had ended, and all—students and teachers—rose to leave. Snape remained seated, lost in thought. He was left alone in the Hall, staring into empty space. Finally, he stood and strode off into the dark corridor, off to see Dumbledore. With each step he took, Snape felt himself growing more furious with the headmaster in question.

When he was still halfway down the corridor to Dumbledore's office, Snape called out the password, and the gargoyle slid aside to reveal a moving staircase. Snape took the steps two at a time, reaching the top in a matter of seconds. Not bothering to knock, he pushed the door open and strode inside. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, his hands resting on his desk with the tips of his fingers pressed together, almost as if he was waiting for the Potions master.

"Explain," hissed Snape, glaring at the headmaster, who returned his gaze calmly.

"Explain what, exactly Severus, if I might ask?" he asked pleasantly.

Snape shot him a furious look, but Dumbledore remained unfazed. "The girl. Emily Freeman. She looks exactly like her, like Lily." He said this last so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Dumbledore sighed. "I suppose I should have known that you, of all people, would recognize the resemblance." He trailed off, staring into space, lost in thought.

"Well?" demanded Snape. "Why does she look exactly like her?"

"Not exactly like her," he murmured to himself.

"What?" asked Snape, obviously confused. "What do you—," then he threw his arms up in the air and began pacing the room. "Just answer my question. Why does she look almost exactly like Lily?"

Dumbledore contemplated the dark-haired man in front of him for a moment before sighing. He gestured at the seat in front of his desk. "Please sit down, Severus."

Snape flung himself into the seat and looked expectantly at Dumbledore. "Well?"

Dumbledore took his time in replying. He appeared to be gathering his thoughts, or deciding just how much he should reveal. Finally, he spoke. "In the end, I suppose it might help that you know. It will give you that much more incentive to fulfill your vow." He paused again, but Snape didn't interrupt, sensing that Dumbledore was about to tell him what he wanted to know.

"James and Lily had a daughter," he began. Snape opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him. "Her name is Emily Lily, and she is Harry's twin sister. When Voldemort decided to kill Harry, they took him into hiding." Snape grimaced, visibly pained by the headmaster's words, but Dumbledore continued on as if he didn't noticed. "Emily, however, was sent to live with her godmother. When Voldemort killed Lily and James, Emily remained with the Freemans while Harry went to live with his aunt and uncle. I cast a Forgetting Spell, so no one would remember that Lily and James had a daughter. It was, and still is, safer for both of them if few people know they are related."

Dumbledore stopped; Snape was staring at him in shock. Lily had a daughter? "She looks exactly like her mother," Snape murmured.

"Except for her eyes," added Dumbledore, "she has her father's eyes."

Snape glared at him briefly before returning to his thoughts. "She has a daughter," he murmured to himself.

After a few minutes, Dumbledore stood up, and a moment later Snape copied him. "I trust I won't have to stress how important it is that Emily's identity remains a secret."

"No," Snape replied. "She will be safe. I will see to it." And with that, he turned on his heels and strode through the door, his cloak swirling at his heels.

**Comments? Critiques? You know how to tell me. . . **


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